17 Amazingly Beautiful But Poisonous Ornamental Plants
Published by Toxic ornamental plants that everybody have to be aware of.
Alpenrose (Rhododendron ferrugineum)
This ornamental plant is moderately toxic, containing arbutine, aricoline and rhodoxanthine, and can cause vomiting, and difficulties of the digestive, nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems. Alpenrose, snow-rose, or rusty-leaved alpenrose is an evergreen shrub that grows just above the tree line in the Alps, Pyrenees, Jura and Apennines, on acid soils
Common Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)
This ornamental plant is poisonous. Xenophon mentions that Greek soldiers in Asia Minor were poisoned by honey made from the flowers of R. ponticum. Common Rhododendron or Pontic Rhododendron is a species of Rhododendron native to Europe and Asia.
All parts of these Azaleas are poisonous and cause nausea, vomiting, depression, breathing difficulties and coma. Azaleas are the most common toxic plant that dogs ingest. Some species are poisonous to grazing animals. These Rhododendrons have a toxin called grayanotoxin in their pollen and nectar. People have been known to become ill from eating honey made by bees feeding on rhododendron and azalea flowers.
Mother of Millions (Kalanchoe tubiflora)
Who would think that this lovely plant is poisonous? This plant is commonly called Chandelier Plant, Mother of Millions, and Mother of Thousands. This plant is a succulent plant native to Madagascar. This plant contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides which can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals. In 1997, 125 head of cattle died after eating mother-of-millions on a traveling stock reserve near Moree, New South Wales.
Miracle Leaf (Kalanchoe pinnata)
Like Mother of Millions, Miracle Leaf has been found to contain bufadienolide cardiac glycosides. These can cause cardiac poisoning, particularly in grazing animals. Miracle Leaf also known as Air Plant, Life Plant and the Goethe Plantis a succulent plant native to Madagascar. It is also a popular houseplant and has become naturalized in temperate regions of Asia, the Pacific and Caribbean.
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On September 18, 2008 at 9:11 am
I get smarter today. Very informative and well-presented article.
On September 18, 2008 at 9:21 am
A very informative piece, the pictures were great.
On September 18, 2008 at 9:26 am
Another awesome post. Very typical of you, Nobert. Good work again!
On September 18, 2008 at 10:28 am
Awesome!
On September 18, 2008 at 10:41 am
Beautiful article! Informative! You are very good at choosing the most interesting ones!
On September 18, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I also love to garden and have a large one in front of our home. I loved the Mother of Millions that one I had never seen. I did not know about the azalea bushes. In the south almost everyone has them. They are so beautiful in the spring. Thank you for a brillant article.
On September 18, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Your picture of the Western Azaleas is beautiful and I have never seen the Mother of Millions before but I love it. I have had the Elephant’s Ear before and never knew it was poisonous. I had no idea any of these were poisonous.
Thanks for sharing with us.
On September 18, 2008 at 4:02 pm
We have most of these plants here in Georgia. I love the azalea, mountain laurel, rododendron, elephant’s ear,and honeysuckles. I grew them, among others in my yard before I moved to an apartment. great article, best wishes. Ruby
On September 18, 2008 at 4:36 pm
These are amazing. I love the Mother of Million. It looks like tiny individual flowers hooked together. Great piece Norbert.
On September 18, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Very informative, a reminder that not all beautiful things in this world are safe,hehe.
On September 18, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Great article, bro. You always remind us that looks can be deceiving. LOL.
On September 18, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Amazing article with beautiful pictures.
On September 19, 2008 at 5:35 am
Very informative. I know the leaf of life (life plant) from South America. If you pick one single leaf and keep it inside a book, it will sprout roots which enables it to be replanted.
I’d never known that it was poisonous.
On September 19, 2008 at 7:46 am
nice article, very informative
On September 19, 2008 at 6:14 pm
thank you very much for reading and commenting, i appreciate it very much more than words can say.
On January 23, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Thank you, but please don’t forget about Oleander. Planted heavily around schools, hotels, and even school yards, this plant is EXTREMELLY poisonous.
My son ingested the flower and we had to rush him to the emergency room.
Google it!
On March 31, 2010 at 2:43 am
Very infomative. I never knew (till right now) that the Miracle Leaf and Elephant Ears are poisonous too – I used to plant them during my younger days and put the Miracle Leaves in between the pages of my books for them to sprout and used them as bookmarks!
The Rhododendron species are too beutiful to be poisonous – like the saying goes….. “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”!