Beauty and the Beast: 10 of the Most Deceptively Beautiful Poisonous Flowers
As fall rolls in and Halloween is just around the corner, it’s a good time to remember the beauties of Spring. But like costumes employed for the upcoming holiday, these gorgeous flowers are much more than meets the eye.
Adonis
Hypnotic in its beauty, but deadly if consumed. As you may have guessed, this plant is named after the hero of Greek mythology.
Azaleas
Most harmful if ingested by a dog, azaleas have a soft texture and petals that seem to flow with the wind. Azalea festivals are held in cities all over North America.
Belladonna
Also called “deadly nightshade,” one of the most toxic plants in the western hemisphere, belladonna is often used as a recreational drug. The hallucinations produced by belladonna are typically unpleasant, however, and there are occasional unpleasant overdoses. It is also used for alternative and mainstream medicinal purposes.
Bloodflower
Its bright, cheerful colors are quite inviting and appropriate as ornamental plants. Although not healthy for human consumption, bloodflower is a food source for butterflies.
Crown Vetch
Toxic to horses, but beneficial for cultivating the earth, crown vetch has been named the state beautification plant of Pennsylvania.
False Indigo
Elegantly shaped, false indigo is not as bad as its name implies. It has a plethora of medicinal usages, but if consumed in excess, false indigo could induce vomiting or diarrhea.
Henbane
Also called “stinking nightshade,” henbane can be fatal to animals in small doses. The “hen” part may not necessarily have to do with chickens…
Larkspur
Western varieties of larkspur are poisonous to cattle, but its delicate petals would have you believe its a faerie in disguise.
Lily of the Valley
Also known as “Our Lady’s tears,” lily of the valley looks more like a handle of little bells–serene and inviting. If untended, however, they can spread like wild fire.
Nightshade
More generally, nightshade is alsoknown as the potato family; some of these, like eggplant, are edible and others are indeed deadly.
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16 Responses to “Beauty and the Beast: 10 of the Most Deceptively Beautiful Poisonous Flowers”
On September 20, 2008 at 11:16 am
They’re so beautiful! It’s a pity that they can be dangerous and poisonous but i guess people don’t just go, pluck flowers and eat them right? we’ll just to love after our pets not to let them nibble those flowers away. Anyway…those flowers remind me of sexy female assassins…don’t ask me why though ^^;;;;
On September 20, 2008 at 12:08 pm
beauty and the beast in the flower world, interesting article
On September 20, 2008 at 2:39 pm
/so beautiful yet so deadly. Nice assortment of information along with strikingly great close ups.
On September 20, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Great photography Ursala. It’s always nice to be educated about these types of things before we go venturing out into nature.
On September 20, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Very nice photos. I didn’t realize there were that many deadly flowers. Good article!
On September 21, 2008 at 1:01 am
Nice bouquet; but dangerous. Great article!
On September 21, 2008 at 4:27 am
Beautiful pcitures and interesting information. There are many more flowers and plants which often use as ornament plants in our homes. It pays to know the properties of these plants.
On September 21, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Hard to imagine such beauty is poison
On September 24, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Such lovely flowers and great photography too. The lily of the valley looks very innocent and delicate.
On September 28, 2008 at 8:18 am
Pictures are great. I knew about two of these, but none of the rest. Thanks for enlightening me.
On October 20, 2008 at 11:48 am
Very rightly said – deceptive!
On November 2, 2008 at 8:17 am
Photos are amazing!!
On November 2, 2008 at 9:04 am
I have animals, pet sheep and ponies as such, so we have to be very careful of what we plant in the yard. Lovely pics, great article
On November 3, 2008 at 11:58 am
Nice photos, and a good share of information.
On January 3, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Great article. Isn’t it funny how the most beautiful flowers can be the deadliest? As long as you just admire them and don’t eat them(or let your kids and pets eat them),most of these are great to have in your yard.
On October 17, 2009 at 1:14 pm
They are so pretty… it’s hard to tell they would be bad unless you read something like this about them
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