Table: Some Moderately Poisonous Plants-Merck Manual Consumer Version

Some Moderately Poisonous Plants

Plant	Symptoms	Treatment
Aloe and related plants	Gastroenteritis and kidney inflammation	Supportive care* if the plant is swallowed and flushing (irrigation) with soap and water if the skin is irritated
Apricot, wild cherry, and peach pits and apple and other seeds (Prunus and Malus species), which contain a chemical that is converted to cyanide after being eaten—usually only if many seeds are chewed and swallowed	Symptoms of oxygen deprivation, such as nausea, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, and poor coordination (similar to those of cyanide poisoning)
Aristolochia (also called birthworts or pipevines)	Formation of scar tissue in the kidneys	Supportive care*
Azalea	Cholinergic† symptoms
Calcium oxalate-containing plants, including leaves of calla lilly, dieffenbachia (dumbcane), elephant ear, jack-in-the-pulpit, philodendron, rhubarb, and many other related plants	Irritation of the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves	Supportive care* and rinsing the mouth with cool liquids to soothe the area and wash away the irritant
Capsicum and related plants (hot peppers)	Irritation of the skin and mucous membranes	Supportive care* and use of milk or ice cream to help dissolve the irritant
	Delayed gastroenteritis and malfunction (failure) of many organ systems Interference with the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells and platelets, possibly causing anemia, infection, and/or bleeding	Supportive care*
Deadly nightshade	Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations	Supportive care*
Fava beans	In people with a deficiency of the enzyme G6PD (which protects red blood cells), gastroenteritis, fever, headache, and hemolytic anemia	Supportive care* For severe anemia and poisoning, gradual removal and replacement of blood with equal volumes of fresh donor blood (exchange transfusion) considered
Green potatoes and potato sprouts	Gastroenteritis, hallucinations, and delirium	Supportive care*
Holly berries	Gastroenteritis	Supportive care*
Jimsonweed	Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations	Supportive care*
Licorice (raw plant, not the common candy which no longer is flavored with licorice plant extract)	Too little potassium in the blood, high blood pressure, and swelling due to retention of fluid (edema)	Supportive care*
	Too much potassium in blood and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)	Supportive care* and antibodies against digitalis
Mistletoe	Gastroenteritis	Supportive care*
Monkshood	A low heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms, numbness and tingling, and weakness	Supportive care*
Nettle	Stinging and burning of the skin	Supportive care*
Nightshade, common or woody	Gastroenteritis, hallucinations, and delirium	Supportive care*
Nightshade, deadly	Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations	Supportive care*
Pennyroyal	Damage to the liver (when severe, causing jaundice, confusion, and a tendency to bleed)
Philodendron and related plants	Damage to the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves	Supportive care* and rinsing the mouth with cool liquids to soothe the area and wash away the irritant
Poinsettia	Mild irritation if it touches the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasal passages, vagina, or urethra	Unnecessary
Poison ivy	Severe itching of the skin and irritation of mucous membranes	Cool compresses, antihistamines and sometimes corticosteroids
Pokeweed	Gastroenteritis Irritation if it touches the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasal passages, vagina, or urethra	Supportive care*
Pothos	Damage to the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves	Supportive care* and use of milk or ice cream to help dissolve the crystals
Yew	Gastroenteritis Rarely, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, and coma	Supportive care*
* Supportive care may include fluids given by vein (intravenously), treatments to maintain body functions (such as drugs to lower fever), drugs to increase blood pressure if it drops, and a ventilator.
† Cholinergic symptoms include a slow heart rate, weakened contraction of the heart, dangerously low blood pressure, difficulty breathing (because airways are constricted), flushing, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, increased urination and salivation, watery eyes, increased sweating, and muscle cramping.
‡ Anticholinergic symptoms include confusion, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, light-headedness, difficulty starting and continuing to urinate, and loss of bladder control.
G6PD = glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Plant

Symptoms

Treatment

Aloe and related plants

Gastroenteritis and kidney inflammation

Supportive care* if the plant is swallowed and flushing (irrigation) with soap and water if the skin is irritated

Apricot, wild cherry, and peach pits and apple and other seeds (Prunus and Malus species), which contain a chemical that is converted to cyanide after being eaten—usually only if many seeds are chewed and swallowed

Symptoms of oxygen deprivation, such as nausea, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, headache, vomiting, drowsiness, and poor coordination (similar to those of cyanide poisoning)

Aristolochia (also called birthworts or pipevines)

Formation of scar tissue in the kidneys

Supportive care*

Azalea

Cholinergic† symptoms

Calcium oxalate-containing plants, including leaves of calla lilly, dieffenbachia (dumbcane), elephant ear, jack-in-the-pulpit, philodendron, rhubarb, and many other related plants

Irritation of the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves

Supportive care* and rinsing the mouth with cool liquids to soothe the area and wash away the irritant

Capsicum and related plants (hot peppers)

Irritation of the skin and mucous membranes

Supportive care* and use of milk or ice cream to help dissolve the irritant

Delayed gastroenteritis and malfunction (failure) of many organ systems

Interference with the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells and platelets, possibly causing anemia, infection, and/or bleeding

Supportive care*

Deadly nightshade

Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations

Supportive care*

Fava beans

In people with a deficiency of the enzyme G6PD (which protects red blood cells), gastroenteritis, fever, headache, and hemolytic anemia

Supportive care*

For severe anemia and poisoning, gradual removal and replacement of blood with equal volumes of fresh donor blood (exchange transfusion) considered

Green potatoes and potato sprouts

Gastroenteritis, hallucinations, and delirium

Supportive care*

Holly berries

Gastroenteritis

Supportive care*

Jimsonweed

Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations

Supportive care*

Licorice (raw plant, not the common candy which no longer is flavored with licorice plant extract)

Too little potassium in the blood, high blood pressure, and swelling due to retention of fluid (edema)

Supportive care*

Too much potassium in blood and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

Supportive care* and antibodies against digitalis

Mistletoe

Gastroenteritis

Supportive care*

Monkshood

A low heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms, numbness and tingling, and weakness

Supportive care*

Nettle

Stinging and burning of the skin

Supportive care*

Nightshade, common or woody

Gastroenteritis, hallucinations, and delirium

Supportive care*

Nightshade, deadly

Anticholinergic‡ symptoms, a high body temperature, seizures, and hallucinations

Supportive care*

Pennyroyal

Damage to the liver (when severe, causing jaundice, confusion, and a tendency to bleed)

Philodendron and related plants

Damage to the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves

Supportive care* and rinsing the mouth with cool liquids to soothe the area and wash away the irritant

Poinsettia

Mild irritation if it touches the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasal passages, vagina, or urethra

Unnecessary

Poison ivy

Severe itching of the skin and irritation of mucous membranes

Cool compresses, antihistamines and sometimes corticosteroids

Pokeweed

Gastroenteritis

Irritation if it touches the mucous membranes of the mouth, nasal passages, vagina, or urethra

Supportive care*

Pothos

Damage to the mouth due to calcium oxalate crystals in the leaves

Supportive care* and use of milk or ice cream to help dissolve the crystals

Yew

Gastroenteritis

Rarely, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, and coma

Supportive care*

* Supportive care may include fluids given by vein (intravenously), treatments to maintain body functions (such as drugs to lower fever), drugs to increase blood pressure if it drops, and a ventilator.

† Cholinergic symptoms include a slow heart rate, weakened contraction of the heart, dangerously low blood pressure, difficulty breathing (because airways are constricted), flushing, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, increased urination and salivation, watery eyes, increased sweating, and muscle cramping.

‡ Anticholinergic symptoms include confusion, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, light-headedness, difficulty starting and continuing to urinate, and loss of bladder control.

G6PD = glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.