Poisons

Common Poisons & Poisonous Plants
Creosote-treated wood
Fertilizers
Grain, fed in excess
Grain, moldy or sour smelling
Hay, moldy or sour smelling
Herbicides
Insecticides
Lead paint
Medication overdoses
Pastures, freshly fertilized
Rodent poisons & baits

Prunus spp. are trees that produce fruits with a single seed or pit (apricot, cherry and plum). These plants produce toxins in the bark and in wilted leaves, but not in fresh leaves or dried leaves.


Common name Botanical name Toxicity Toxic Parts Toxin

Acorns (see Red Oak) Quercus High all gallotoxins
Amaryllis Hippeastrum vittata Med. all lycorine
Andromeda A. floribunda & polyfolia High all andromedotoxin
Apricot Prunus armeniaca High wilted leaves cyanide
Arrow Grass (Marsh Grass, Pod Grass, Goose Grass) Triglochin maritima High all cyanide
Avocado Persea spp Low leaves
Azalea Rhododendron indicum High all glycosides

Baneberry Actea rubra Med. all ranunculin glycoside
Beet Beta spp . leaves .
Bindweed (Wild Morning Glory) Convolvulus arvensis Low all estropane alkaloids
Bitterweed (Sneezeweed) Helenium Hymenoxys richarsonii Med. all glycosides sesquiterpene lactones
Black Henbane Hyscyamus niger High all tropane alkaloids
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacadia
Black Walnut Juglans nigra Med. all unknown
Bleeding Heart Dicentra exemia Med. all various alkaloids
Bluebonnet Lupinus subcarnosus . seed .
Bouncing Bet (Soapweed) Saponaria officinalis Low all saponins
Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Med. all thiaminase
Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum . all, except ripe seeds fagopyrin
Buffalobur - see Kansas Thistle Solanum rostratum High all solanine
Burdock Arctium spp. . trauma from spiny burs no toxin present
Burning bush Euonymus spp. Low all possible glycoside
Buttercup Ranunculus spp. Low all ranunculin, glycoside

Caladium (Angel's Wings) Caladium spp Med. all oxalates
Calla Lily Zantedeschia spp High all oxalates
Castor Bean Ricinus communis High seeds ricin
Cherry (all varieties) Prunus cerasus High wilted leaves cyanide
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana High wilted leaves cyanide
Christmas Rose Helleborus niger Low all protoanemonin
Clematis Clematis spp. Low all ranunculin, anemonin
Clover, Alsike (red) Trifolium spp . . .
Cocklebur Xanthium spp. . burs 2-leaf plantlets trauma from spiny burs carboxyactractyloside
Cotton Seed Gossypium spp. Low seed gossypol
Cow Cockle Saponaria spp. all, especially seeds saponins
Cowslips Caltha palustris
Crocus Colchium spp High all alkaloid colchicine
Crotolaria Crotolaria spectabalis High all pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Dock (Sorrel) Rumex crispus Low all oxalates
Daffodil Narcissus spp Med. all .
Daphne Daphne mezerium High all diterpenoid (mezerein)
Death Camas (Death Onion) Zigadenus spp. High all steroidal alkaloids
Delphinium (Larkspur) Delphinium spp. High all alkaloids
Desert Baileya Baileya multiradiata all hymenoxon
Dieffenbachia (Dumbcane) Dieffenbachia spp Med. all oxalates
Dogbane (Indian Hemp) Apocynum cannabinum High all cardiac glycosides
Dog Fennel (Mayweed) Anthemis cotula
Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra cucullaria Med. all numerous alkaloids

Elder (Elderberry, Danewort) Sambucus High foliage cyanide
Elephant Ear Colocasia Med. all oxalate
English Ivy Hedera helix Med. all saponic glycoside
English Laurel Prunus laurocerasus High wilted leaves, stems, seed cyanogenic glycoside, amygalin
Ergot fungus (infected grain) Claviceps spp Med. all ergotamine

False Hellebore Veratrum woodii Med. all various alkaloids
Fescue Festuca arundinacea High all endophyte fungus
Flax Linum spp. High all linseed oil & linseed cake cyanide
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea High all digitalis
Foxtail Barley Hordeum jubatum . awns (mechanical irritant)

Giant Hogweed, (Cow Parsnip) Heracleum mantegazzianum Low all .
Hemlock Conium maculatum High all conicine
Holly Ilex Low berries illicin and others
Horse Chestnut, (Buckeye) Aesculus spp. High all glycosides narcotic alkaloids
Horsetail Equisetum spp High all thiaminase
Horseradish Armoracea rusticana Low root glucosinolates
Hyacinth Hyacinthus spp Med. all
Hydrangea Hydrangea spp Med. all cyanogenic glycoside

Iris Iris spp Med. all

Jack-in-the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Low all
Jerusalem Cherry Physalis spp High all various alkaloids
Jimson Weed (Thornapple) Datura stramonium High all various alkaloids
Johnsongrass Sorghum halapense High all cyanide
Jonquil Narcissus spp Med. all .

Kansas Thistle, Buffalo Burr Solanum rostratum High all trauma from spiny burs solanine

Laburnum (Golden Chain Tree) Laburnum anagyroides High all cytisine alkaloid
Lambsquarter (Wormseed) Chenopodium spp High oil from seeds nitrates
Lantana Lantana camara High all triterpene acids
Larkspur Delphinium tricorne Med. all various alkaloids
Lily-of-the-valley Convallaria majalis Med. all .
Lobelia Lobelia spp High all pyridine alkaloids
Locoweed Oxytropis spp . all swainsonine
Lupine Lupinus spp High all alkaloids

Maple (red) Acer rubrum High leaves unknown
Milkweed Asclepius spp Med. all cardiac glycosides, galitoxin
Mistletoe Phoradendron flavescens Med. berries several toxins
Mock Orange Philadelphus spp . . .
Mole Plant (Caper Spurge) Euphorbia lathyris Low all diterpene esters
Monkshood Aconitum spp High all aconitine
Motherwort . . . .
Mountain Laurel Kalmia spplatifolia, K.augustifolia High all andromedotoxin

Narcissus Narcissus spp Med. all
Nettle Urtica dioica, Laportea canadensis Low all various
Nightshade Solanum spp High all tropane alkaloids

Oats Avena sativa Med. grain nitrates, molds
Oleander Nerium oleander High all (incl. smoke) oleandrin, nerioside

Peach Prunus persica High wilted leaves cyanide
Pennycress Thlaspi Med. all isoallyl thiocyanates
Peppergrass Lepidium Med. all isoallyl thiocyanates
Philodendron Philodendron spp Low all oxalates
Pigweed Amaranthus retroflexus High all nephrotoxin, oxalates
Plum Prunus spp High wilted leaves cyanide
Poinsettia - NOT poisonous Euphorbia pulcherrima Not poisonous
Poison Ivy Rhus radicans Low all 3-n-pentadecylcatechol
Poison Oak Toxicodendron pubescens High sap - skin irritant urushiol
Pokeweed Phytolacca americana Low all saponins
Poppy Papaver somniferum High all alkaloids
Potato Solanum tuberosum High foliage solanine, other alkaloids
Privet Ligustrum spp High berries glycosides

Quercus rubra (and others) High leaves, shoots and acorns gallotoxins

R. neomexicana High bark, seeds, new growth glycoprotein
Ragwort Senecio High all pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Rhododendron Rhododendron spp High all glycosides
Rhubarb Rheum rhaponticum High leaves oxalates
Rosary Pea Abrus precatorius High seed abrin, abric acid
Rye Grass Lolium spp High rapidly growing

Sago Palm Cycas revoluta Low all glycosides, amino acid BMAA
Scotch Broom Cytissus scoparius High all quinolizidine alkaloids
Skimmia Skimmia japonica red fruits unknown
Skunk Cabbage Symplocarpus foetida Low all oxalates
Smartweed Polygonum spp . . nitrates
Snow-on-the-mountain Euphorbia marginata High all cocarcinogenic diterpenoids
Spurge (many varieties) Euphorbia spp. Low all diterpene esters
St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum Med. all hypericin
Sudan Grass Sorghum vulgare or sudanensis ?? . . nitrates
Sweet Pea Lathyrus spp Low seeds amine, phenol & glycoside

Thistle (Canada, Russian) Cirsium arvense, Rumex spp Low all nitrates
Toadstools . . all .
Tobacco Nicotiana spp Med. all nictotine (alkaloid)
Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Med. foliage glycoalkaloids

Vetch (some varieties) Vicia spp . seed cyanide

Water Hemlock (Cowbane) Cicuta spp High all cicutoxin
White Snakeroot Eupatorium rugosum High all tremetol
Wild Carrot Daucus carota Low leaves falcarinol
Wild Cherry Prunus serotina High wilted leaves, twigs, seed cyanide
Wild Mustard Brassica Med. all isoallyl thiocyanates
Wisteria Wisteria spp High seeds and pods unknown

Yellow Jessamine Gelsemium spp High all alkaloids
Yew Taxus spp High all taxine


Unless you are well educated in the properties and affects of these poisons I do not suggest that you use of them! Many of these can be used in magikal workings or healings but you must be professional about them or they could cause serious harm and even death!