A big thank you to Heather for forwarding me a link to the 12 deadliest garden plants. I had no idea these were so toxic to our furry little friends and wanted to be sure and pass on the information to everyone!
All of these our common place garden plants that can be poisonous to kids and/or pets:
- Rhododendron {the entire plant}
- Lily of the Valley {the entire plant}
- Hydrangea {the entire plant}
- Poet’s Narcissus {the entire plant}
- Foxglove {the entire plant}
- Larkspur {the entire plant}
- Oleander {the entire plant}
- Poinsettia {the sap found in the veins of the plant}
- Purple Nightshade {the entire plant}
- Mountain Laurel {leaves, twigs, flowers and pollen}
- Mistletoe {the entire plant, especially the berries}
- Water Hemlock/Spotted Parsley {the entire plant}
If you know of any other plants that are toxic, let me know in the comments below so we can all keep our pets and kiddos safe.
Thanks again Heather!
~Mavis
The New York Times 1000 Gardening Questions and Answers: Based on the New York Times Column Garden Q & A is awesome. I own it, and it’s pretty darn awesome.
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Evan says
In the South, we have a very common and very poisonous plant is Jessamine. The beautiful yellow flowers smell wonderful, but the whole plant is toxic.
Carol says
Wolfsbane aka aconite.
Sarah says
You have an azalea pictured. Are they poisonous as well? I loathe them, so it would just give me another reason to never, ever plant them.
Claudia says
Azalea is rhododendron
Janice says
Diffenbachia.
JoAnn says
Castor Bean Plant – Ricin is poisonous to animals and humans.
Anne says
I think that’s a photo of rhododendron, which is in the azalea family.
Jan says
you are correct!!! The flowers are similar but the leaves are different…you can see a portion of a leaf in the pic if you look closely! 🙂
Deb Miller says
This site gives some great info on plants that are toxic to pets in addition to what you shared Mavis. I have a dog that loves Aloe Vera, we are fortunate she did not get ill. I have moved it out of her reach.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/24-common-plants-poisonous-to-pets.html?page=1
cyndi says
Rhubarb leaves have oxalic acid in them and are considered poisonous if ingested. Supposedly not by just contact, although I usually wear gloves when handling the plant just in case.
Kathy says
Hyacinth, Narcissus, Daffodil Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane), Elephant Ear (entire), Rosary Pea, Castor Bean (seeds…is fatal), Monkshood (Fleshy roots), Daphne (Berries -Fatal. A few berries can kill a child.) Buttercups (All parts)
just to name a few. There’s a list at the site listed below:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/poisonous-plants-resources/common-poisonous-plants-and-plant-parts/
Charla Echlin says
Azalea, Datura (angel’s trumpet), Delphinium and don’t forget the leaves of the Rhubarb plant are very poisonous!
I have a booklet from ASPCA that has been very helpful- here’s a link to more! http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/04/02/dogs.poisonous.plants.mnn/index.html
Lauren says
Ficus sap is toxic, ligustrum is poisonous to mammals, wisteria seeds and caladium leaves and stems are poisonous.
Susie says
Angel’s Trumpet. Waki Tu mentioned it already, and referred to it as both Datura and also Angel’s Trumpet, but I thought I’d post it again since I’ve only ever heard it called Angel’s Trumpet here in Florida.
Cecily says
Potato leaves and stems and tomato leaves, stems and green fruit are toxic to dogs. They are both part of the night shade family.
Lori N says
English Ivy is toxic if chewed on by bunnies or dogs. Several years ago I lost a super sweet mini-lop eared rabbit I had, giving him free rein in our ivy covered fenced yard, before I knew. It was a hard lesson to learn. Our next home I googled every plant for toxicity before planting. And then my puppy uprooted my indoor pot of tulips and ate the bulbs/pips. Ahem, poisonous. That time I called the animal poison control (not free, costs $75) but they told me what to do to save my dog. Worth it for sure, but how nice if I had known before.
Donna Brown says
A good share of the rhubarb plant is also poisonous.
Madam Chow says
Foods you should not feed your dog:
http://www.vetinfo.com/foods-poisonous-dogs.html
Erin says
Garlic, onions, and tomato plant leaves are toxic to dogs.
Rev. T.D. McCauley says
Helebore are also poisonous.
Isn’t it so convenient that the prettiest plants are poisonous?
Lumen Castaneda says
What about diffenbachia? It’s poisonous to children.
Barbi says
I found most plants are toxic to our animals. Add morning glory and lantana to the list.
Lisalynn says
ANY plant with a milky/cloudy sap is poisonous. Any plant with CLEAR sap is not poisonous.
Figure it’s better to sum it up like that, much easier than to try and name any and all poisonous plants/weeds that you may have or find in your yard.
Dominique says
Anything in the lily family is toxic to animals
Diane says
Rosary pea is extremely deadly. Even handling peas with a nicked surface can be fatal. The peas are a very pretty red and black, so attractive to children. We had them in our yard in Florida and knew better than to put anything in our mouth, but didn’t know at the time how dangerous it was to even touch them!
Madelyn says
Monkshood
It looks like a bigger version of a delphinium, I’ve heard they are poisonous. They have a real large stock that goes up, with flowers all the way up.
Laurie says
Potato, tomato leaves, Jacobs ladder, monkshood, rhubarb leaves, wolfsbane, hellebore, garlic, dumb plant, aloe, just to name a few