Common Toxic Herbs and their Effects
This is not a complete list by any means, but these commonly noted plants, herbs, and flowers should be handled with care or avoided altogether.
Aconite (Wolfsbane, Monkshood) - all parts: dermatoxic, hepatotoxic, and neurotoxic
Adam and Eve (Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Wild Arum) - root: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested
African Sumac - leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal
Agave - juice: dermatoxic
Angel’s Trumpet - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal
Apple - seeds: cytotoxic in large doses
Apricot - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses
Arnica - gastrotoxic
Asparagus - berries: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested
Azalea - all parts: cytotoxic and neurotoxic; rarely fatal
Betel Nut Palm (Pinyang) - all parts: gastrotoxic if ingested
Bittersweet Nightshade - all parts: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; rarely fatal
Black Hellebore - all parts: cardiotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Black Locust (False Acacia) - root bark and flowers: gastrotoxic
Black Nightshade - all parts except ripe fruit: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Bleeding Heart - leaves and roots: neurotoxic
Bloodroot - rhizomes: cytotoxic
Blue Passion Flower (Common Passion Flower) - leaves: cytotoxic
Bracken - all parts: carcinogenic
Buttercup - all parts: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic
Calabar Bean (Ordeal Beans) - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested in large doses
Cassava - leaves and roots: cytotoxic in large doses
Castor Bean (Castor Oil Plant) - seeds: cytotoxic if ingested or inhaled
Celandine - nephrotoxic
Cherry - leaves and seeds: cytotoxic in large doses
Christmas Rose - all parts: gastrotoxic
Cocklebur - seedlings and seeds: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic
Columbine - seeds and roots: cardiotoxic; easily fatal
Corn Lily (False Hellebore) - all parts: cardiotoxic; often fatal
Cowbane (Water Hemlock, Snakeweed) - root: neurotoxic if ingested
Daffodil - bulbs and stems: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Datura/Moonflower - all parts: gastrotoxic and cardiotoxic
Deadly Nightshade (Belladonna) - all parts: cardiotoxic and neurotoxic; often fatal
Desert Rose (Sabi Star, Kudu) - sap: cardiotoxic with skin contact
Dumbcane - all parts: dermatoxic; possibly fatal
Elder (Elderberry) - root: gastrotoxic
Elephant Ear (Angel Wings) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic
Ergot - neurotoxic
Foxglove - leaves, seeds, and flowers: cardiotoxic; often fatal
Garlic - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals
Giant Hogweed - all parts: dermatoxic
Golden Chain - all parts, especially seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Goldenseal - all parts: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic in large doses
Grapes/Raisins - all parts: gastrotoxic in dogs
Greater Celandine - all parts: gastrotoxic in large doses
Hemlock (Spotted Cowbane, Poison Snakeweed) - all parts: neurotoxic; possibly fatal
Hemlock Water Dropwort - roots: neurotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal
Henbane - all parts: neurotoxic and cardiotoxic
Holly - berries: gastrotoxic
Honeybush - all parts: gastrotoxic
Horse Chestnut - all parts: neurotoxic
Hyacinth - bulbs: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic; possibly fatal
Iris - rhizomes: gastrotoxic and dermatoxic
Jequirity (Crab’s Eye, Rosary Pea) - seeds: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; often fatal
Kava Kava - nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic
Kidney Bean - raw: gastrotoxic
Larkspur - young plants and seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal
Lemon - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic to animals
Lily - all parts: nephrotoxic
Lily of the Nile (Calla Lily) - all parts: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic if ingested; possibly fatal
Lily of the Valley - all parts: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal
Lima Beans - raw: gastrotoxic
Lime - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals
Lobelia - all parts: gastrotoxic
Mandrake - roots and leaves: gastrotoxic and neurotoxic
Mango - peel and sap: dermatoxic
Mangrove - bark and sap: dermatoxic and eye irritation
Mayapple - all green parts and unripe fruit: gastrotoxic
Meadow Saffron (Autumn Crocus) - bulbs: gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Mistletoe - leaves and berries: gastrotoxic, cardiotoxic, and neurotoxic; rarely lethal in adults
Moonseed - fruits and seeds: gastrotoxic; often fatal
Mountain Laurel - all green parts: gastrotoxic
Nutmeg - raw: psychoactive in large doses
Oak - leaves and acorns: gastrotoxic; rarely fatal
Odollam Tree (Suicide Tree) - seeds: cardiotoxic; often fatal
Oleander - all parts: dermatoxic, cardiotoxic, and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Onions - all parts: gastrotoxic in animals
Orange - oil: dermatoxic and gastrotoxic in animals
Peach - seeds and leaves: cytotoxic in large doses
Pokeweed - leaves, berries, and roots: gastrotoxic; often fatal
Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac - all parts, especially leaves: dermatoxic; possibly fatal
Poison Ryegrass (Darnel) - seeds: neurotoxic
Potato - raw: cytotoxic
Privet - berries and leaves: neurotoxic and gastrotoxic; possibly fatal
Ragwort - all parts: hepatotoxic
Redoul - all parts: gastrotoxic, neurotoxic, and causes respiratory issues; can be fatal in children
Rhubarb - leaves: nephrotoxic
Skullcap - hepatotoxic
Spindle (Spindle Tree) - fruit: hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic; possibly fatal
Stinging Tree (Gympie Gympie) - bark and sap: dermatoxic; sometimes fatal
Strychnine Tree - seeds: neurotoxic; often fatal
Sweet Pea - seeds: neurotoxic and damaging to connective tissues
Tomato - leaves and stems: cytotoxic in large doses
Uva Ursi - neurotoxic, dermatoxic
White Baneberry (Doll’s Eyes) - all parts, especially berries: cardiotoxic; possibly fatal
White Snakeroot - all parts: gastrotoxic; often fatal
Winter Cherry (Jerusalem Cherry) - all parts, especially berries: gastrotoxic; occasionally fatal, especially to children
Wisteria - gastrotoxic
Yew (English Yew, Common Yew) - leaves and seeds: gastrotoxic if ingested and respiratory issues if inhaled
last updated: 12-6-2016
Honeysuckle - berries are cardiotoxic