But it's actually serious! Especially those who are new to the most beautiful leisure activity in the world, hobby gardening, often have no idea what they are actually getting on the beds with laburnum, angel's trumpets, priest's hats or the popular lilies of the valley. And if you know it, your dog doesn't know it, or your beloved house cat.
Which poisonous plants should you avoid in the garden?
Poisonous plants in the garden, such as laburnum, angel's trumpets, priest's hats or lily of the valley, can be dangerous for people and animals. The most dangerous poisonous plants include giant hogweed, belladonna, yew, lily of the valley, daphne, laburnum, autumn crocus, monkshood, monkshood and castor bean.
Let's take castor bean: Great look right into autumn with these characteristic blue-green, huge leaves embellished with red veins, the bristle-like bright red flowers and the highly poisonous ricin. 25 milligrams or one seed is enough to kill you within two days if no one helps. Somehow nature seems to have made a mistake when it comes to poisonous plants. Most of them are particularly attractive plants, i.e. ornamental plants, which we not only see in gardens, but which can also be admired in public parks and of course in the great outdoors. Take a look for yourself and see if you can find old friends in our list:
The official list of poisonous plant species (an excerpt!)
| Growth | German name | Botanical name | Toxicity | poisonous plant parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| herb | Aronstab | Arum maculatum | Rootstock, berries, leaves | |
| Shrub | Ivy | Hedera helix | Berries, leaves | |
| Shrub & Herb | Angel Trumpet | Datura suaveolens | all plant parts | |
| herb | Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea | Leaves, flowers, seeds | |
| herb | firebean | Phaseolus coccineus | unripe raw fruits, leaves | |
| Tree & Shrub | Gold Rain | Laburnum anagyroides | Flowers, green fruits, seeds | |
| Shrub | Cherry Laurel | Prunus laurocerasus | Leaves, seeds | |
| Shrub | Tree of Life | Thuja spec. | Branch tips, cones | |
| Houseplant | Oleander | Nerium oleander | Leaves, flowers, bark | |
| Shrub | Daphne | Daphne spec. | Bark, seeds, flowers, leaves | |
| herb | Spurweed | Euphorbia spec. | Milk juice | |
| herb | Red Bryony | Bryonia dioica | Root, berries, seeds |
Source: “Official list of poisonous plants” from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
=Ingestion of small quantities can lead to moderate poisoning;=Ingestion of small quantities can lead to severe or fatal poisoning;
First aid, what to do?
Some varieties are not perceived as alarming or even dangerous by the sense of taste and are rather perceived as typical of fruit. Others contain bitter substances or burn the mouth and have an above-average stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Symptoms typical of the disease such as fever, stomach cramps and vomiting, and in worse cases even cardiac arrhythmias, are diagnosed after just an hour with some toxic plants. Effective antidote for home use, except for the well-known medicinal charcoal - none! Don't even try self-medication in the form of traditional poison cocktails from grandma's hand-me-down medicine cabinet, as they would literally be "death-proof". The only possible option if poisoning is suspected: call emergency services as quickly as possible.
The TOP-10 of the most dangerous poisonous plants
- Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum): 2 to 4 meter high perennial with 30 to 50 cm large umbels that forms leaves up to one meter in size; not fatal, but causes severe and painful burns if one comes into contact with the sap.
- Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna): Perennial grows up to two meters high and produces reddish-brown, bell-shaped leaves; Towards autumn, green then black berries with a diameter of 10 to 20 mm and a sweet taste develop; The poisons scopolamine, atropine and L-hyoscyamine in the berries are fatal in children (3 to 4 pieces).
- Yew (Taxus baccata): Conifer can grow up to 20 meters high; more likely to be found in the garden as a hedge; The red seed coats contain the poison taxin, which is toxic when it comes into contact with the skin; Symptoms etc. Diarrhea, dizziness, vomiting, loss of consciousness, palpitations, heart failure (death after approx. 90 minutes);
- Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis): the spring bloomer, up to 30 cm high, is very interesting for the garden because of its attractive, white flowers; also grows in mixed or deciduous forests; produces red berries approx. 5 mm in size; Plant is poisonous overall and contains toxic glycosides that act mainly on the circulatory system; causes visual disturbances, dizziness, blood pressure fluctuations and cardiac arrhythmias that lead to heart failure.
- Daphne (Daphne mezereum): popular in the garden but also at home in deciduous and mixed forests; pink flowers on bushes up to 2 meters tall, which are already very fragrant in spring and later develop into red berries; Toxins in seeds and bark cause burning in the mouth, swelling of the mucous membranes followed by diarrhea, vomiting and dizziness; Death often occurs as a result of a collapsing curl;
- Laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides): small tree with decorative yellow flowers and pea-like fruits within closed pods; The alkaloids contained in the entire plant lead to muscle cramps and severe fever, paralysis of the central nervous system and even respiratory arrest.
- Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale): small flowers with purple or pink flowers that grow mainly in moist meadows; the arsenic-like poison in the seeds causes rapid symptoms of poisoning (vomiting, stomach cramps, drop in blood pressure and drastic drop in body temperature); Cause of death after a maximum of two days: respiratory paralysis;
- Pfaffenhütchen (Euonymus europaea): the shrub, up to six meters high, is mainly native to forests; The reddish capsules during the flowering period from May to June contain the poisonous evonin in their seeds, which causes diarrhea and stomach cramps; However, the fatal dose is when more than 30 capsules are consumed, so the chance of survival is comparatively high;
- Monkshood (Aconitum napellus): its attractive appearance has meant that the highly poisonous, blue-flowering plant, which is mainly found in mountainous regions, is also valued in ornamental gardens; Contamination (with the alkaloid aconitine) occurs through skin contact with the tuber; Symptoms Numbness of the hands, especially on the skin, and palpitations; Contact can lead to heart failure due to respiratory paralysis within three hours.
- Castor(Ricinus communis): one to two meter high ornamental plant with blue-green leaves, red growths on the flowers and highly toxic seeds that contain ricin; After cramps, diarrhea and massive balance problems, inflammation, thrombosis and acute kidney failure lead to death.
Important to know: What's growing in my garden
It is not uncommon for particularly beautiful plants that are found on a walk to be taken into the garden and planted there without any malicious intent. Anyone who knows what they are doing will also tell their children about it and warn them about the possible dangers. Nevertheless, caution is advisable or, in case of doubt, you should avoid growing these plants, also in the interest of possible pets, as you can also enjoy plants that are just as beautiful or even more beautiful, as our following article shows.
