Identifying a Poisonous Houseplant

Beware: juice

The yellow juice is helpful in healing burns and cuts as well as helping purge the bowels. However, the juice can also cause dermititis in children with more sensitive skin.

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Beware: everything

This poisonous houseplant may have beautiful flowers, but it has proven deadly if ingested to humans and pets. Symptoms of poisoning include spasmodic movement, coma, drowsiness, hallucination, and elevated temperature.

{photo by Charles and Clint}

Beware: everything

Ingestion of any part of this common houseplant can cause severe irritation to the mouth, throat, and digestive system.

Beware: everything

The azalea has a lower toxicity level than other plants, but is still dangerous if ingested. The flowers can fall on the ground, get picked up by little fingers, and then chewed on.

{photo by Joe Shlabotnik}

Beware: bark, roots, juice, leaves

This plant has beautiful and unique leaves, making it a popular houseplant choice. The juice has been known to cause eczema after repeat exposure. Chewing will cause burning in the mouth.

{photo by Carl E Lewis}

Beware: leaves and stems

This plant produces multiple plantlets along the base, grown from the edges of fallen leaves. These plantlets contain a toxin that was deadly to chicks and mice. To remain safe, don't let your baby explore this plant with her fingers and mouth.

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Beware: everything

This is a very popular species of houseplant. The mouth and throat will immediately and painfully swell if the leaves are chewed. The juice also causes intense pain and swelling if accidently sprayed into the eyes.

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Beware: leaves

If ingested, the leaves will cause difficulty in breathing, convulsions, vomiting, paralysis and coma. In rare occasions, dermatitis can occur with slowly healing open blisters.

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Beware: everything

When a child attempts to chew this plant, he will quickly receive painful irritation in his mouth and throat. Look for blisters, difficulty in swallowing, and hoarseness as a sign of poisoning.

Beware: leaves, juices

This is another extremely popular houseplant. Chewing the leaves creates burning and swelling of the mouth. There is at least one case of an infant dying as a result of eating the leaves of this plant. Any plant of the philodendron species should be kept out of reach by children.

Beware: leaves, flower buds

This popular poisonous houseplant is known for its beautiful large flowers. Eating the flower buds produces vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, labored breathing lethargy, and in some cases, a coma. Sensitive children may contract dermatitis from touching the leaves.

{photo by MShades}

Beware: berries, leaves

This houseplant is identified by its colorful berries. Children who eat moderate amounts of berries or leaves may experience abdominal pains, diarrhea, severe abdominal cramping, and vomiting.

{photo by wikipedia}

Beware: leaves

If chewed, the leaves will cause loss of voice, blistering of the mouth, and hoarseness. Sensitive children who ingest the fruit may exhibit an allergic disorder that causes itchy patches of skin to swell with water.

{photo by ewen and donabel}

Beware: leaves and stalks

Sensitive children may contract dermatitis if they touch this plant frequently.

{photo by KaCey97007}