When you think of plants it is usually the words colorful, beautiful, pretty and others
which come to mind.
But apart from the occasional brush against poison ivy, no one really thinks of plants
as dangerous.
But that is probably because they have not heard of some of the plants that can kill,
almost instantly.
Here is a look at some of the most poisonous plants in the world.
19.
Dieffenbachia.
Also known as dumbcane, these plants generally have cells which carry small needle shaped
crystals called raphides.
These small little spears usually end up in the mouth when the plant is chewed and lead
to oral irritation, excessive drooling and swelling.
In extreme cases, the irritation is so severe that it immobilizes the tongue, mouth and
throat, and effectively leads to death by the blockage of airways!
18.
Astropa Belladona.
Known more popularly as the deadly nightshade, the belladonna is plant native to the Eastern
hemisphere.
The chemicals contained in the plant, tropane alkaloid, block the central nervous system
so it was also used as a medicine for asthma, muscle spasm and excessive sweating.
But so dangerous is the plant that ingesting 2 berries is enough to kill a human and what
makes it doubly dangerous is that the berries kind of look like blueberries and it leads
to poisoning in children who eat it accidently.
Blurred vision, loss of balance, head ache and hallucinations are some of the effects
of the poison.
17.
Suicide Tree.
Considering the name, it is pretty obvious that the cerbera odollam is pretty dangerous!
In just one state in India, the plant causes up to 50 deaths a year!
And not just as suicides either, as it is a pretty well known poison for murder as well!
The seeds of the plant contains cerberin, an alkaloid which often disrupts the heart’s
rhythm and causes death.
So much so, that in Madagascar, the suicide tree was part of a tradition where those who
were being tried were made to eat a lot of it and if they survived, then they were considered
innocent!
Thankfully, the system has since been banned!
16.
Dracula’s Flower.
With a name like that, this one has to be dangerous right?
The name is given to the flower because of its hatred for direct sunshine and because
it grows mostly in shaded areas.
The flower, which is also known as voodoo lily, releases an extremely pungent smell
which is quite similar to that of rotting meat.
The reason it does that is to attract flies which help in the pollination.
Not to mention that the plant is extremely poisonous and even touching it sets off an
allergic reaction.
Actually eating it is dangerous as it is poisonous!
15.
Hemlock.
Perhaps the most popular poisonous plant in the world, Hemlock is known for being a murder
weapon!
In fact, so potent is the toxin in hemlock that in ancient Greece it was used as a method
of execution.
Hemlock contains the toxin coniine, and even the smallest amount of it can cause death.
It starts with an ascending muscular paralysis where paralysis sets in the legs and moves
upwards till it reaches the respiratory organs and thus leads to death.
The most famous victim of hemlock was Socrates, and he ingested just a little of the coniine!
14.
Aconite.
Another name for this plant is the wolf’s bane or the leopard’s bane, which was given
to it because the ancient greeks used it to kill wolves and leopards.
That should pretty much tell you how poisonous aconite really is!
It grows in the hilly regions of the northern hemisphere and contains powerful alkaloids,
especially in the tubers and roots.
The flowers of the plant are generally blue or purple mixed with white and consumption
leads to burning, vomiting and diarrhea and also leads up to coma.
Unless you were poisoned with it of course in which case you would probably end up dead!
13.
Jimsonweed.
The nicknames given to this weed should be a warning in itself.
The devil’s weed, the devil’s trumpet and hell’s bell are some of the names given
to the Jimsonweed which mostly grows in the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
The reason for the names is that the plant is a potent hallucinogenic which is found
mostly in the seeds and leaves.
The sucking of the juice of this plant, either through the leaves or roots, will lead to
it affecting your nervous system, eyes, ears and overdose also leads to death!
12.
Rhododendron.
Found mostly in Asian countries, rhododendron is a plant which has really nice and attractive
flowers of different colors like pink, violet, red, yellow and white.
But don’t go by its beautiful outlook.
The rhododendron is actually poisonous and its leaves contain the toxins andromedotoxin,
grayanotoxin and rhodotoxin!
Animals generally avoid the plant and in the case they do eat it, they experience vomiting,
slow heart rate and exhaustion.
And if humans consume it accidently, they would be suffering from a loss of balance
and salivating as well!
11.
Digitalis.
This plant is also known as foxglove and dead man’s bells so that should pretty much give
you an idea as to how dangerous it is!
But that does not mean that people do not want it as it blooms biennially and its flowers
are very vivid.
But it is a dangerous thing to have in your garden.
If ingested, digitalis can cause vomiting, nausea, convulsions, delirium and the list
is actually pretty long with death also an eventuality.
10.
Cicuta.
Generally considered as one of the most poisonous plant in North America, the cicuta, which
is also known as the water hemlock is extremely toxic.
It usually has small umbrella shaped green or white flowers with thick stems.
The plant contains an extremely toxic liquid which is very dangerous to humans and even
cattle and other animals which graze on it are severely affected!
9.
Angel’s Trumpets.
The South Americas are home to many wonders and one of them is the angel’s trumpet.
But there really is nothing angelic about the plant which contains alkaloids in almost
all parts, but it specially concentrated in the seeds and leaves.
The flowers of the plant are between 10 to 20 inches and consumption leads to nausea,
paralysis, diarrhea, hallucinations and if you are not careful, even death!
8.
Golden Rain.
The golden rain is a large shrub found mostly in Europe which has golden yellow, sweet scented
flowers!
The flowers are pretty attractive which is why it attracts many kids.
And while the entire plant is poisonous, it is the seeds which are really harmful.
They are easily mistaken for pea pods by kids, and there have been many cases in Britain
where children have actually died from ingesting golden rain seeds!
7.
Giant Hogweed.
This plant was once a native of Asia but has since spread to Europe and North America as
well.
So that pretty much means that people in those 3 continents should be very careful of the
plant as its sap is extremely dangerous.
Only a few drops in the eye can result in blindness while on the skin it causes extensive
blistering!
6.
White Snakeroot.
Native to North America, these 3 feet tall plants are very dangerous.
They contain the chemical tremetone and high consumption of the white snakeroot is perilous
to cattle, who often die as a result.
And when the milk and meat of the cows come into contact with whiteroot, they develop
the tremetone toxin which is poisonous to humans!
It leads to weakness, pain, comiting, coma and even death.
In fact, Abraham Lincoln’s mother was the most famous death to have been caused by the
whiteroot!
5.
Rosary Pea.
The attractive red seeds of the rosary pea can be easily identifies which is a pretty
good thing because it is highly toxic and contains a natural poison called abrin.
Breaking the shell of the seeds releases the poison which can cause the cells to cease
creating protein and die, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, diarrhea and severe eye pain as
well.
Prolonged exposure to abrin also results in death which is why it is a mystery as to why
people in India and Indonesia wear it as beads!
4.
Manchineel.
Found in the coastal regions of Florida, South and central America, the manchineel is possibly
one of the 2 most poisonous trees in the world.
It is best to steer clear from it as not only is the fruit potentially lethal, but the tree
itself poses a grave threat.
All parts of it, especially the sap, contains the chemical phorbol, which causes severe
skin irritations.
Contact with the sap results in blisters, and even the smoke from burning it can cause
blindness.
In fact, in ancient times, tribals used to coat their arrows with the sap of manchineel
to hunt and sometimes even tied victims to the tree!
3.
Oleander.
Found mostly in south east Asia, the oleander is seen quite commonly in gardens, which is
kind of ironic because it is in fact toxic.
Digitoxigenin, neriin, oleandrin, olendroside are the main poisons present in the plant
and the toxins are contained in all parts of the plant.
The flowers of oleander bloom with pink and red flowers which have a very sweet smell
but don’t get too attracted to it as it also contains toxins!
They affect the heart and central nervous system of humans although the poison has no
effect on birds for some reason!
Although the poison has no effect on birds for some reason!
2.
Castor Bean Plant.
While all of us have heard about castor oil and its benefits, the plant from which the
oil originally comes from is extremely dangerous.
The seeds of the castor bean plant contain ricin, which is an extremely dangerous poison.
In fact, ricin is present in other parts also but the concentration is not high enough to
pose any danger.
What makes the seeds so dangerous is that ricin is 6000 times more potent than cyanide
and ingesting it leads to burning in mouth, pain, drop in blood pressure and without proper
treatment it can lead to death as well within just 24 hours.
1.
Tobacco.
The plant which causes the maximum number of deaths in the world, an estimated 5 million,
is definitely the most dangerous plant.
Which is kind of surprising as it is also the most widely cultivated nonfood plant in
the world!
The leaves of the tobacco plant contain the toxic alkaloids nicotine and anabasine, which
are fatal if eaten!
But it is also a psychoactive and addictive chemical which leads to people using nicotine
in various forms around the world.
Have you ever come across any of these poisonous plants?
Or maybe you have heard of remedies which can help if one is poisoned by these plants.
Do share your experiences in the comments section below and remember to subscribe to
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