7 Plants That Can Do You Some Serious Harm
7 Plants That Can Do You Some Serious Harm
They may look pretty, but a brush with these leaves and blooms can have major consequences.
Hogweed
Touch this stuff (which looks eerily like Queen Anne's Lace), and you might develop severe burns or blistering, or even permanent blindness, thanks to adverse reaction the sap can have with sunlight.
Dieffenbachia
The trouble with dieffenbachia is that it is often used as a houseplant. The plant (from the stalks down to the leaves) contain calcium oxalate needles. They can cause your skin to burn or itch and are also toxic to pets.
Monkshood
This beautiful plant is considered one of the most poisonous in the garden, producing aconitine. Though mainly harmful if ingested, skin contact can produce numbness and tingling.
Wild Black Cherry Leaves
The seeds, bark, and leaves contain hydrocyanic acid. When the leaves wilt, they can release cyanide, which is especially bad news if your pet likes to eat whatever happens to be in front of him.
Stinging Nettle
The leaves may be pretty, but keep your distance. The plant is covered in millions of teeny tiny hairs bearing a toxin that stings (thus the name).
Hyacinth Bulbs
The bulbs have alkaloids that are poisonous to pets — but can also greatly irritate skin.
Castor Oil Plant
Beautiful, yet deadly. The seeds of the Castor Oil plant contain highly toxic ricin.
Don't mess with Mother Nature. A brush with these leaves and blooms can have major consequences.