by Stacy Tornio
CHINESE LANTERN
POISONOUS PROFILE
Here’s another unique plant, and gardeners definitely love unique! The round pods that form near the fruit of this plants are so cool looking! They are paper-like in texture, and definitely add interest to a container or flower display. However, anyone who has grown them knows how easily they can take over, making them a lot more annoying than cool. You might be tempted by these interesting plants, but there are definitely better options out there.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Chinese lantern
Botanical Name Physalis alkekengi
Zone 2 to 9
Height up to 3 feet
Spread up to 3 feet
Flower Color White flowers but known for the red papery “lanterns” that appear
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 2
Toxic Parts Leaves, berries
BE AWARE
If the berries on this plant are ripe, they’re edible. But if not, they can cause headache, vomiting, breathing problems, and numbness.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Stay away! This plant is aggressive, weedy, and potentially deadly. This is enough to put it in the “don’t plant” category.
LUPINE
POISONOUS PROFILE
The entire lupine family of flowers are gorgeous backyard plants with somewhat rare blooms that gardeners are often after. They aren’t big plants and they don’t have big flowers, but they definitely make an impact in the garden with clusters of flowers on tall stalks. Lupine blooms in summer, and once you get it started, you’ll look forward to it each year!
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Lupine
Botanical Name Lupinus perennis
Zone 3 to 8
Height up to 2 feet
Spread up to 2 feet
Flower Color Blue, purple, white, and sometimes pink
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts Seeds
BE AWARE
If you or pets eat the seeds of this plant, you might see signs of depression, slow heartbeat, and convulsions. These plants are most problematic if you have a dog or grazing animals that like to munch on a lot of plants.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Lupine makes a nice backyard garden plant. Keep an eye on your pets if they’re around it, but it’s a good addition.
AGAVE
POISONOUS PROFILE
The southwest is filled with this popular succulent, but you won’t find it in cold areas unless a gardener is moving it indoors in winter or growing it as a houseplant. It’s also known by the name century plant because legend says that it might live one hundred years before it blooms! In reality, it’s more like ten or twenty years, but it’s still worth noting. It does have gorgeous blooms, but you can’t count on them.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Agave, century plant
Botanical Name Agave americana
Zone 8 to 10
Height up to 6 feet
Spread up to 10 feet
Foliage Green, succulent leaves
Light Needs Full sun
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts All parts contain a toxic sap.
BE AWARE
If your skin (or an animal’s) comes into contact with the sap, it can cause terrible skin irritation. If eaten, you’ll definitely notice digestive problems.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Be careful handling this plant, but you should otherwise be able to grow it without worry.
BABY’S BREATH
POISONOUS PROFILE
It’s not native to the United States, but this plant is now making its way throughout the country. In fact, it’s common to see it in wildflower seed mixes, too. It’s a fun one to grow because the plants produce so many tiny white flowers, making it a great backdrop to a perennial bed or as cut flowers. Since it’s been growing in popularity, there are a lot more options these days, so ask someone at your local garden center for a recommendation if you want to grow it!
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Baby’s breath
Botanical Name Gypsophila paniculata
Zone 3 to 9
Height up to 3 feet
Spread up to 3 feet
Flower Color White
Light Needs Full sun
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts All parts
BE AWARE
If pets eat this plant, it may not be life threatening, but it may cause vomiting, dermatitis, and upset stomachs.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Because it’s a common addition to flower arrangements, it’s just good to keep an eye on pets with cut flowers. Otherwise, feel free to grow it in your backyard without much concern.
FLAX
POISONOUS PROFILE
This is a small but mighty plant that is fun to grow in the backyard. You seriously just need to sprinkle the seeds in your garden, and they’ll likely flourish from there! The blooms aren’t very big, but they come in gorgeous bluish colors. Flax can take dry conditions and lots of different soil types. So if you want something easy, this just might be your new favorite plant! It should come back year after year, but if not, just sprinkle more seeds each year and grow it as an annual.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Flax
Botanical Name Linum perenne
Zone 5 to 8
Height up to 2 feet
Spread up to 1 foot
Flower Color Blue or purple
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts Seeds contain a form of cyanide
BE AWARE
Flaxseed you get from the store is fine because it’s been processed properly. However, the toxicity problem occurs when livestock eat the plant (and therefore the seeds) in the wild or if flaxseed is part of their food. Large doses could cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches, and vomiting.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Grow flax in your garden. It’s one of those great plants that are so easy to grow!
YUCCA
POISONOUS PROFILE
You can get a little taste of the desert by planting yucca. It does well in poor or sandy soils, and it definitely is eye catching when growing in the garden. It has spiky green foliage that looks like it could be growing in the Southwest. Then in the summer, it will send off tall stalks of gorgeous, bell-shaped white flowers several feet into the air. Even after the blooms fade, you’ll still have that spiky foliage to add some fun to your garden.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Yucca, Adam’s needle, needle plant
Botanical Name Yucca filamentosa
Zone 5 to 10
Height 4 to 8 feet
Spread 2 to 3 feet
Flower Color Grown for its spiky green foliage and also shoots off-white blooms
Light Needs Full sun
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts All parts
BE AWARE
While it tends to be mild, still keep an eye on pets around this plant because it can cause vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Grow it. It’s a dramatic perennial that works well in many different spaces. The spiky nature of this plant keeps most pets away. You’ll still want to be aware of it, though.
CARDINAL FLOWER
POISONOUS PROFILE
Cardinal flower is known among gardeners as a great plant for hummingbirds (they do love the color red). It’s also a popular option for butterflies. This native perennial is a great one to get started in your garden. The flowers are bold and beautiful, and once you get this plant established, you’ll have great blooms for many years to come.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Cardinal flower
Botanical Name Lobelia cardinalis
Zone 3 to 9
Height up to 4 feet
Spread up to 2 feet
Flower Color Mostly red, sometimes white or pink
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts All parts
BE AWARE
Pets who eat parts of this plant, especially in large quantities, might experience depression, vomiting, excess salivation, and abdominal pain.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It’s still a good perennial for most backyards. Just keep an eye on pets and kids.
LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY
POISONOUS PROFILE
Lily-of-the-valley is popular plant among home gardeners because you can grow it as a ground cover. This means if you plant lily-of-the-valley in a small area of your garden, it can spread several feet in any and all directions in a few years. Of course, not everyone likes an aggressive plant. If you don’t want it to spread, be sure to plant in a contained area (like a container or where there’s a strong border around it). If you’re going to grow it, keep an eye out in fall. This is when the plant can produce small reddish berries, which could look especially appealing to pets or small kids.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Lily-of-the-valley, lily of the valley
Botanical Name Convallaria majalis
Zone 3 to 8
Height up to 1 foot
Spread up to 1 foot
Flower Color Pink, white
Light Needs Part shade to full shade
Level of Toxicity 3
Toxic Parts All parts
BE AWARE
All parts of the plant contain harmful cardiac glycosides, which are especially concentrated in the underground roots and stems. This can cause nausea, dizziness, and in extreme cases, cardiac arrest.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Even though all parts of this plant are poisonous and it’s a bit aggressive, this is still a perennial that many gardeners continue to grow. It pops up early in spring and lasts well into fall, so you can really get a lot of life out of it.
FOUR O’CLOCKS
POISONOUS PROFILE
There’s so much to say about this plant. First off, many think of it as having edible flowers, so the fact that it’s on a “toxic plants” list might surprise some. But it is true—it’s better not to consume this plant. Even if there are times or parts that are okay to eat, you probably don’t want to chance it! Most gardeners grow it as an annual, but some can grow it as a perennial. It has a bit of a tropical look to it, and it gets its name because the blooms don’t come out until the afternoon—around the four o’clock hour! While you don’t want to eat it, it’s still a good annual and a perfect plant for containers!
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Four o’clocks, marvel of Peru
Botanical Name Mirabilis jalapa
Zone 9 to 11
Height up to 3 feet
Spread up to 3 feet
Flower Color Pink, red, yellow, white, rose
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts All parts can have toxic elements.
BE AWARE
If ingested, you might see signs of nausea or vomiting. Some people even report problems with skin irritation after they handle four o’clocks.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Don’t eat it. Just grow it for its beautiful flowers.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
“Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic. In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.”
—Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
92. Asparagus
93. Rhubarb
94. Potatoes
95. Tomatoes
96. Cherries
97. Kidney beans
98. Mushrooms
99. Ackee
100. Cashews
101. Squirting cucumbers
ASPARAGUS
POISONOUS PROFILE
Asparagus is one of those investment crops. It might take a year or two to get them established in your garden before they really produce, but once they do—wow! You can get a bountiful harvest for many, many years. Make sure you find a good, permanent area to grow your asparagus since it will come back year after year. It’s not exactly easy to relocate. Once the crop is done for the season, let the foliage grow. It can get quite tall and give good height and color to your garden. It also makes a great background plant in the flower garden or a good screen.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Asparagus
Botanical Name Asparagus officinalis
Height up to 5 feet for most
Spread up to 2 feet
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 1
Toxic Parts The red berries, which come later in the season
BE AWARE
If asparagus isn’t harvested and it continues to grow, it will produce small red berries, which can definitely be toxic. They can cause vomiting, nausea, and more.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Keep growing asparagus in your backyard. Just don’t let it go past its prime and develop those little berries, especially if you have small kids or pets.
RHUBARB
POISONOUS PROFILE
Many gardeners consider rhubarb a perennial. Hardy in zones 3 to 8, rhubarb definitely deserves a spot in your flower bed, not just in your veggie garden. It’s one of the earliest things to grow in spring and has beautiful green leaves and pinkish red stalks. Once you harvest and cook these stalks, you’ll definitely want to try your hand at making a rhubarb pie (or rhubarb strawberry pie). Just stay away from the leaves, though. With more research, you should be able to find some ornamental ones that are not only pretty but edible, too!
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Rhubarb
Botanical Name Rheum x cultorum
Height up to 3 feet
Spread up to 4 feet
Light Needs Full sun to part shade
Level of Toxicity 2
Toxic Parts The stalks are most poisonous.
BE AWARE
The leaves contain something called oxalic acid, which can cause kidney failure in humans! Of course, you’d need a lot of leaves for this to happen, but it’s still not a good idea to eat them.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This is still a good option for your garden, unless you have a pet that likes to munch away a lot.
POTATOES
POISONOUS PROFILE
Potatoes are poisonous? What? Don’t freak out too much. This is still a good backyard veggie. You don’t need much—just well-drained soil and consistent water. It’s truly one of the easiest veggies to grow. Plus, you have so many great potato options. Big, small, purple, gold, white—there are plenty to choose from!
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Potatoes
Botanical Name Solanum tuberosum
Height plants grow up to 3 feet
Spread up to 3 feet
Light Needs Full sun
Level of Toxicity 2
Toxic Parts Leaves, stems, and sometimes the potato itself
BE AWARE
Both the stems and leaves of potatoes contain a poison called glycoalkaloid. This can actually be found in potatoes that turn green, so stay away if you notice this has occurred, especially if you're pregnant! Though rare, if you consume this in large quantities, it can cause weakness, coma, or even death.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Potatoes are a good option for your veggie garden.
TOMATOES
POISONOUS PROFILE
You just can’t beat the flavor of a homegrown tomato, and in this day and age, you seriously have hundreds of varieties to choose from. Love heirlooms? You can get tomatoes in funky shapes and shades of purple, green, black, and orange. Looking to grow in containers? There are tons of options cultivated for pots and patios. Most tomato plants require about eight hours of sunlight a
day, and they also need to be staked (or you can use a cage) so they don’t flop over. You’re not going to want to eat the leaves or stems, though. Yep, they definitely do more harm than good.
DEADLY STATS
Common Name Tomatoes
Botanical Name Lycopersicon esculentum
Height up to 6 feet
Spread up to 6 feet
Light Needs Full sun
