Poisonous Plants
By A. Brown
Did you know that some plants commonly found in Texas landscapes are
poisonous? Different parts of these plants (or in some cases, the entire
plant) can be toxic to varying degrees, from a digestive irritant, to
a fatal poison.
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum puniceum): bulbs
Bird-of-Paradise Bush (Caesalpinia gilliesii): pods and seeds
Bird-of-Paradise Flower (Strelitzia reginae): seeds and pods
Boxwood (Buxus microphylla and sempervirens): leaves and twigs
Texas Buckeye (Aesculus arguta): seeds, flowers, and leaves
Caladium (Caladium): all parts
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis): entire plant, especially the
seeds
Elephant's Ear (Colocasia antiquorum): all parts
Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) and Narcissus: bulbs
Daturas (Datura meteloides and stramonium): all parts
Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum): all parts
Four O-Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa): roots and seeds
Holly (Ilex sp.): berries
Hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.): entire plant
Iris (Iris sp.): leaves and rootstock
Ivy (Hedera helix and other species): berries and leaves
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens): entire plant
Lantanas (Lantana sp.): all parts, especially the berries
Lupines (many types, including bluebonnets) (Lupinus sp.): entire
plant, especially the seeds
Oleander (Nerium oleander): entire plant, especially the leaves
Privet (Lugustrum japonicum): berries and leaves
Pyracantha (Pyracantha sp.): berries are suspected of being poisonous
Rhododendrons and Azaleas (Rhododendron sp.): entire plant
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare): leaves, stems, and flowers
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia): berries and probably
leaves
Source:
Plants that Poison by Ervin M. Schmutz and Lucretia Breazeale Hamilton,
1979