Poisonous and Non-Poisonous Plants An Illustrated List

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The Bottom Line

Some plants can be poisonous if you eat them. Others can hurt you if you get them on your skin. For some plants, all parts of the plant are poisonous. For others, only certain parts of the plant are harmful. The danger can range from mild irritation to severe illness or death. Check out our illustrated list of selected poisonous and non-poisonous plants.

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Some plants can be poisonous if you eat them. Others can hurt you if you get them on your skin. For some plants, all parts of the plant are poisonous. For others, only certain parts of the plant are harmful. The danger can range from mild irritation to severe illness or death.

Even non-poisonous plants can cause choking if someone tries to eat them. Every situation is different; these lists are just a guide.

  • If someone eats a poisonous plant, call Poison Control for advice.
  • Find out the names of your plants. If someone eats a plant, Poison Control needs to know what it is!
  • Keep indoor plants where children can’t reach them.
  • Watch young children carefully when they play outdoors.
  • Teach children always to ask an adult before eating or drinking anything.
  • When camping or picnicking - only eat wild plants if you know FOR CERTAIN what they are. People have died after mistaking hemlock for wild carrots.

The table below is an illustrated list of selected plants. The information divided into 3 sections: 

Call Poison Control if you have plants that aren't on the list. 

Poisonous Plants

 Poisonous Plants
Common Name Botanical Name Photo
Apple (seeds, leaves) Malus spp. apple
Apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines (seeds, leaves) Prunus spp. plum pitpeach pit
 Autumn crocus Colchicum autumnale autumn crocus
Azalea, rhododendron Rhododendron pink azalea flowers
Caladium
Caladium calacium
Castor bean
Ricinis communis castor bean plantcastor bean necklace
Daffodil Narcissus daffodil
Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna

atropa belladonna large attrib

Dumbcane
Dieffenbachia
dumbcane deffenbachia
Elephant ear Colocasia esculenta elephant ear
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea foxglove digitalis purpurea
Holly
Ilex hilly
Iris
Iris iris
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum jack in the pulpit
Jerusalem cherry
Solanum pseudocapsicum jerusalem cherry
Jimson weed
Datura stramonium jimson weed
Lantana Lantana camara lantana camara
Lily-of-the-valley
Convallaria majalis lily of the valley
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum mayapple fruit
mayapple
Mistletoe Viscum album mistletoe
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus, other Aconitum spp.
monkshood
Morning glory
Ipomoea morning glory
Mountain laurel
Kalmia latifolia mountain laurel
Nightshade
Solanum spp. nightshade
Oleander
Nerium oleander oleander
Peace lily
Spathiphyllum peace lily
Pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium pennyroyal
Philodendron
Philodendron
philodendron
Poison hemlock Conium maculatum  poison hemlock
Poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac
Toxicodendron spp. poison ivy
Pokeweed Phytolacca americana pokeweed purple berries pokeberries
Pothos
Epipremnum aureum photos
Rhubarb (leaves)

Rheum spp.

rhubarb leaves
Rosary pea
Abrus precatorius rosary peas
Water hemlock Cicuta maculata water hemlcok
Yew Taxus yew

Non-Poisonous Plants

This table shows a few non-poisonous plants. Familiarize yourself with these, along with the poisonous plants above.

Non-Poisonous Plants
Common Name Botanical Name
Photo
African violet Saintpaulia ionantha
african violet
Begonia Begonia begonia
Christmas cactus
Schlumbergera bridgesii
christmas cactus
Coleus Coleus coleus
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
dandelion
Dracaena
Dracaena
dracaena
Forsythia
Forsythia forsythia
Impatiens
Impatiens
impatiens
Inch plant Tradescantia fluminesis inch plant
Jade
Crassula argentea
jade
Petunia Petunia petunia
Poinsettia (may cause irritation) Euphorbia pulcherrima  poinsettia
Rose
Rosa roses
Spider plant
Chlorophytum comosum spider plant
Swedish ivy
Plectranthus spp. sweedish ivy
 Wild strawberry Fragaria virginiensis wild strawberry

Mushrooms

Eating any amount of any wild mushroom could be very dangerous. Mushrooms may look alike but be very different. Call Poison Control right away if anyone eats any part of a mushroom picked from a yard or the woods.

There are bold mushroom hunters and here are old mushroom hunters, but there are no old bold mushroom hunter. -- A wise person.

Poisoned? Get Expert Help.

Don't guess what you should do. Get accurate Poison Control answers online or by phone. Both are free and confidential.

Get HELP ONLINE

or CALL 1-800-222-1222


For More Information

Wild Mushroom Warning (The Poison Post®)

Azaleas and Rhododendrons (The Poison Post®)

Daffodils (The Poison Post®)

Foxglove: Toxic to the Heart (The Poison Post®)

Bird of Paradise Plant is Beautiful and Non-Toxic (The Poison Post®)


References

Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Dart RC. 2010 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 28th annual report. Clinical Toxicology. 2011;49:910-941.

Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Giffin SL. 2009 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 27th annual report. Clinical Toxicology. 2010;48:979-1178.

Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Giffin SL. 2008 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 26th annual report. Clinical Toxicology. 2009;47:911-1084.

Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Rumack BH, Dart RC. 2011 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 29th annual report. Clinical Toxicology. 2012;911-1164.

Mowry JB, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Bailey JE, Ford M. 2012 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 30th annual report. Clinical Toxicology. 2013;51:949–1229.

Palmer MP, Betz JM. Plants. In:  Nelson LS, Lewin NA, Howland MA, Hoffman RS, Goldfrank LR, Flomenbaum. Goldfrank’s toxicologic emergencies, 9th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2011.  p. 1537-1560.

USDA, NRCS. 2014. The PLANTS Database [Accessed 15 June 2014] National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.


Poisoned? Get Expert Help.

Don't guess what you should do. Get accurate Poison Control answers online or by phone. Both are free and confidential.

Get HELP ONLINE

or CALL 1-800-222-1222