Seven Deadly (And Sometimes Helpful) Plants

Some plants are kind of scary if you think about it.  Venus flytraps for example.  Creepy.  And then there's all the plants on this list, that can actually kill you.  I'd say that's scary, but then again I'm scared of a lot of stupid things.

Oleander

If you’ve ever been to California, you might have seen Oleanders on the side of the road. They’re used a lot in landscaping because they’re pretty and they smell nice. Kind of ironic then, that they’re one of the most poisonous plants in the world. In fact, as little as one leaf can kill a child, and as little as 100g can kill an adult horse. Pretty much every part of the plant is toxic, especially the sap. Ingesting the plant can give you gastrointestinal symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; or cardiac reactions like irregular heartbeat. Oleander can also attack the central nervous system, and go so far as seizures, coma, and death. Every so often you’ll hear of homicides and suicides by oleander.

Belladonna


Belladonna is grown mostly in Eurasia. Back in the 1500s, women would put in in their eyes to dilate the pupils, which was considered pretty back then. This is why it’s called Belladonna, which means “beautiful lady” in Italian. It was also sometimes used as a hallucinogen. If prepared right, in can be made into medicine for all types of things, including asthma and Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms of overdosing can include delirium, mania, hallucinations, and difficulty breathing.

Bloodroot


Bloodroot grows mostly in North America, and gets its name from the blood-colored liquid that pours out if you cut the root open. The plant contains Sanguinarine, which is used in toothpaste. Anything higher than 300mg will cause vomiting, and anything higher than that becomes toxic. Effects of bloodroot poisoning include burning stomach, nausea, thirst, slowed heart rate, and impaired vision. It can also burn your skin.

Hemlock


Poison hemlock was the plant that killed Socrates. All of the plant is poisonous, but especially the seeds. When consumed, it causes convulsions, paralysis, and eventually death.

Datura


Datura has been used for years as a hallucinogen and poison, and a surprising amount of people in Europe and India use it to commit suicide. There’s also been recent reports of people out in the woods who died after using it in stew, which is exactly why stupid people should never go camping. Effects of the plant include bizarre behavior, the inability to tell fantasy from reality, and occasionally amnesia.

Henbane


Henbane smells as bad as at looks. It can be made into drugs that help with muscle spasms. People also sometimes use this as a drug, because it makes you feel like you’re flying. Symptoms of poisoning are hallucinations, dilated pupils, flushed skin, and restlessness. In 2008, a celebrity chef wrote in a magazine article that henbane was “a tasty addition to salads”. He later retracted that statement.

Pokeweed


Very young pokeweeds can actually be eaten, but after they grow, pretty much everything is poisonous. Lesser poisoning might cause vomiting, tremors, and spasms. More serious poisoning could result in dizziness, weakness, seizures, coma, and death. The juice of the berries can also be made into inks and dyes. There is a rumor floating around out there that the Declaration of Independence was written with pokeweed ink.