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The below table lists common plants known to be toxic when ingested. While this is not a complete list, it contains many plants commonly found in home landscapes in Georgia.
The purpose of this list is to familiarize you with some of the common plants known to have poisonous properties when ingested.
Please note, that the term “POISONOUS” does not imply that the plant is fatal. Some plants may be only mildly toxic and may cause stomach ache or mild irritation of the mouth and throat when ingested. There are also a number of variable that determine how severe the poisoning symptoms may be, such as the age, weight and health status of a person in relationship to the quantity of the plant ingested as well as the form that the plant was in at the time of ingestion. It is not the intent to discourage you from planting any of the plants on the list, but to make you aware of their potential hazard.
Following is a list of the most common poisonous plants found in Georgia:
American Ivy/Virginia Creeper
Autumn Crocus
Azalea/Rhododendron
Belladonna/Deadly Nightshade
Birch Tree
Bird of Paradise
Bittersweet/Woody Nightshade
Caladium/ Elephants Ear
Castor Oil Plant/Castor Bean
Chinese Lantern/Cape
Choke Cherry/ Chokeberry
Devil’s Ivy/Pothos
Dieffenbachia/Dumb Cane Elder (bark, shoots, leaves, roots, unripe berries)
Dogbane
Elephant’s Ear/Philodendron
Foxglove
Holly (berries, leaves)
Jequirity/Rosary Pea
Jimsonweed
Larkspur
Lily of the Valley
Mayapple
Mistletoe
Monkshood
Morning Glory (seeds)
Peace Lily
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy, Oak, Sumac
Pokeweed/Pokeberry
Poppy
Red Buckeye/Horse Chestnut
Water Hemlock
Wild Mushrooms
Yew
Tips to Prevent Plant Poisoning:
- Know the names of all the plants in your home and yard.
- Label all plants with their names so you can identify a plant if it is eaten.
- Keep house plants, seeds, and bulbs out of the reach of children and pets.
- Do not eat wild plants or mushrooms; cooking poisonous plants does not make them safe to eat.
- Remove mushrooms growing in your yard and throw them away in a covered garbage can.
- Teach your children to never put any part of a plant into their mouths.
- If you suspect a plant poisoning, remove any plant material from the victim’s mouth and call the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
