Poisonous Plants

Search for Poisonous Plants

Important: If someone has been exposed to a potentially harmful plant, or you have additional questions, please call your poison control center at 800-222-1222.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to be comprehensive. It is a compilation of the plants most frequently encountered by the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC). The UPCC staff have tried to provide the most accurate information possible, however, we do not claim that this website is error-free.

This project is supported by funds received through grant # H4B HS 00 008 awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Division of Healthcare Preparedness, Healthcare Systems Bureau.

Common Name Scientific Name	Type	Description
Baneberry Actaea rubra	Native	These plants grow at higher elevations (8000 feet) in cool, wet places. Grows 3 or 4 feet tall, has a thick stem and thick underground root, large featherlike leaves with a hairy underside. Poisonous parts: all parts, especially root stock and sap.
Calla Lily Zantedeschia species	Houseplant	Leaves shaped like arrow heads that may grow to 18 inches long and 10 inches wide. Leaves are glossy green. Stems are longer than the actual leaves. Spathe-shaped white flowers. Berry is not often seen.
Castor Bean Ricinus communis	Cultivated	Usually grown as an annual. May grow 6-15 feet tall. Leaves alternate and may be up to 3 feet in diameter. Leaves are lobed and have 5-11 points.
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster species	Cultivated	May be ground cover to small upright shrub to very tall graceful shrubs (25 feet). Flowers are white or pinkish and bloom in Spring. They resemble tiny single roses. Berries may be red or orange-red.
Daffodil Narcissus species	Cultivated	Common garden plant grown from bulbs usually with straight, flat leaves and white or yellow flowers.
Deadly Nightshade Solanum Dulcamara	Native	Vine-like plant that may grow as high as 6 feet.
Death Camus Zigadenus species	Native	Perennial herb with narrow, grass-like leaves. Yellow or whitish-green flowers form at top of central stalk. Bulbs often mistaken for onion but lack the characteristic onion odor.
Donkey's Tail/Creeping Spurge/Myrtle spurge Euphorbia myrsinites	Native	Grows wild in foothill areas in northeastern Utah, also cultivated in rock gardens. Blue-green diamond-shaped fleshy leaves in close spiral arrangement, end with a tooth-like tip.
Dumb Cane Dieffenbachia species	Houseplant	House plant that has large leaves up to 20 inches. The plant may reach 2 feet in width. It is generally taller than it is wide. Leaves are dark green to yellow green with variegations in white or pale cream.
Easter Lily Lilium longiflorum	Houseplant	Leaves are shiny, dark-green and lance shaped. Flowers are white and trumpet-like.
False Hellebore Veratrum species	Native	Grows in damp areas on meadows and hillsides at high elevations. It emerges as soon as snow melts in the Spring and reaches a height of 1.5 to 2 meters. Leaves may measure 20 to 30 cm long and 7 to 15 cm broad. Cream-colored flowers grow in clusters at the top of a single unbranched stalk that resembles corn.
Firethorn Pyracantha species	Cultivated	Habit ranges from upright to sprawling. Glossy green oval shaped leaves. Has needle-like thorns. Planted as shrubs or ground covers in full sun.
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea	Cultivated	Cultivated in gardens throughout the United States. Grows up to 4 feet tall. Leaves are grayish-green in color and are wooly on their underside.
Iris Iris species	Cultivated	Sword or grass-like leaves with showy flowers that bloom in Spring or early summer. They grow from bulbs or rhizomes, 1 to 2 feet tall.
Jimson Weed Datura Wrightii	Native	Can grow up to 5 feet tall. Stems and leaves are velvety green in color. Flowers are snow-white in color and bloom in the summer. They open in the evening and fade during the day.
Lily of the Valley Convallaria majalis	Cultivated	Naturalized in gardens, prefers partial shade. Ground cover, 6-8 inches high, forms colonies. Broad, glossy green elliptical leaves.
Lupine/Blue Bonnet Lupinus argenteus	Native and Cultivated	Grows from lower elevations up to 10000 feet in elevation. Approximately 20 inches tall. Compound leaves, with 6-9 lance-shaped leaflets, with a silvery covering. All parts, especially ripe seeds, are potentially toxic.
Oleander Nerium oleander	Cultivated	Evergreen shrub up to 20 feet tall. Leaves are leathery, dark green, long and narrow to 10 inches with pointed tip.
Oregon Grape Mahonia Aquifolium	Native and Cultivated	A low growing plant with year-round pinnated, waxy green leaves that resemble holly. The plant bears dainty yellow flowers in early summer and a dark blue berry that ripens late in the Fall.
Pacific Yew Taxus species	Cultivated	The yews are evergreen shrubs or small trees with reddish-brown bark in thin flaking scales; leaves are dark green to yellow-green, shaped like a narrow sickle, stiff, 1.25 to 2.5 cm long, and pointed at the apex. Fruit is bright scarlet red or sometimes yellow and fleshy.
Peace Lily Spathiphyllum species	Houseplant	Leaves come directly from the root and are large for plant, elliptical in shape and narrow to a point. Leaves are 1 -5 feet long and up to 6 inches wide. Flowers are spathe-shaped and either white or green. Berries may be found in clusters but are rarely seen.
Philodendron Philodendron species	Houseplant	Fast growing plant with leathery, glossy leaves. Depending on species, may grow to 10-20 feet as a tree-like shrub.
Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima	Houseplant	Leaves are oval and 4-7 inches long. They are lobed.
Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum	Native	Grows along streamside and ditch banks at all elevations, tolerates poorly drained soils. Can be found throughout the United States. Grows 4-10 feet tall. Hollow, branched, spotted stems with purple splotches. Leaves are fern-like. Single white taproot that resembles a carrot.
Poison Ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii	Native	Low shrub, rarely exceeds 4 feet in height. Prefers shady, wooded areas; found throughout the southwestern US.
Pothos/Devil's Ivy Epipremnum aureum	Houseplant	Commonly grown as an indoor potted plant and as an ornamental outdoors in warm climates. Heart-shaped or oval dark green leaves with yellow or white splotches, and slender stems. Grows as a vine.
Rubber Tree Ficus species	Houseplant	Narrow, leathery dark-green leaves that are 8-12 inches long.
Snow on the Mountain Euphorbia marginata	Native and Cultivated	Oval light green leaves, upper ones striped and marginated white. Contains milky white sap that is irritating to the skin and mouth.
Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica	Native	Grows in moist, shaded woodland areas. Reaches about 4 feet tall at maturity, often grows in colonies. Leaves are lance-shaped and have sharp-toothed edges. Stems and leaves have hair-like structures.
Tulip Tulipa species	Cultivated	Common garden plant grown from bulbs.
Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinophylla/Brassaia actinophylla	Houseplant	The plant has a long stalk with glossy bright green leaves. The leaves are divided into 7-16 leaflets. Houseplant does not generally bloom.
Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quiquefolia	Cultivated	Woody vine, leaves are elliptical and occur in groupings of 5 leaflets with saw-toothed edges. Foliage changes from green in summer to orange in Fall. Planted in gardens as a ground cover or on fences.
Wart Weed Euphorbia maculata	Native	Stems are branching, hairy, and often pink to red in color. Can grow up to 12 inches tall, but often forms mats. Grows from a taproot. Leaves are ovate shaped.
Water Hemlock Cicuta douglasii	Native	Grows along streamside, irrigation canals, and in moist pastures; seldom grows about 8500 feet in elevation. Grows 3 to 7 feet tall. Thick rootstocks have cross partitions at the base. Roots have separate chambers inside, and a musky odor. Leaves are lance-shaped, with toothed edges.
Western Monkshood/Wolfbane Aconitum columbianum	Native and Cultivated	Grows 2-4 feet tall in damp shady places in upper elevation mountain areas. Has fleshy roots and stout stems. Leaves are dark green and deeply divided with multiple segments; leaves become smaller towards the top of the plant.