Poisonous & Toxic Species
Never touch, taste, or consume any species you cannot positively identify. This guide is for educational purposes only. When in doubt, consult a local expert. Use the iNature app for quick AI-powered identification in the field.
bristly buttercup
Ranunculus hispidus Michx.
Ranunculus hispidus Michx. is a North American native buttercup with yellow flowers, mildly toxic foliage, and seeds eaten by birds and rodents.
Woolly Buttercup
Ranunculus lanuginosus L.
Ranunculus lanuginosus is a toxic perennial herbaceous buttercup native to central and southern Europe and the Caucasus.
Western Buttercup
Ranunculus occidentalis Nutt.
Ranunculus occidentalis, the western buttercup, is a North American buttercup species with traditional indigenous uses.
Large White Buttercup
Ranunculus platanifolius L.
Ranunculus platanifolius (large white buttercup) is a toxic herbaceous European mountain plant with white flowers.
Creeping buttercup
Ranunculus repens L.
Ranunculus repens L. (creeping buttercup) is a stoloniferous poisonous perennial buttercup, often a weedy invasive ornamental.
cursed crowfoot
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
Ranunculus sceleratus is a highly toxic annual buttercup with a wide northern hemisphere distribution plus presence in Australia and New Zealand.
bridal veil broom
Retama monosperma (L.) Boiss.
Retama monosperma (bridal broom) is a Mediterranean flowering bush containing toxic alkaloids, host to two moth species' larvae.
tuber fleeceflower
Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke
Reynoutria multiflora is a herbaceous perennial vine, a popular traditional Chinese medicine that can cause hepatitis if overconsumed.
common buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica L.
Rhamnus cathartica, or purging buckthorn, is a deciduous shrub or small tree with known ecological roles, toxicity, and historical medicinal uses.
Mediterranean buckthorn
Rhamnus lycioides L.
Rhamnus lycioides is a hardy, drought-resistant Mediterranean shrub with toxic berries that support local bird populations.
Yellow Rattle
Rhinanthus minor L.
Rhinanthus minor L., or yellow rattle, is a hemiparasitic annual herb used for restoring wildflower meadows.
Greater Yellow-rattle
Rhinanthus serotinus (Schönh. ex Halácsy & Heinr.Braun) Oborny
Rhinanthus serotinus (yellow rattle) is an annual hemiparasitic herb used to restore wildflower meadows by suppressing grass growth.
Western Labrador Tea
Rhododendron columbianum (Piper) Harmaja
Rhododendron columbianum is an evergreen shrub with documented medicinal and insect-repelling uses, though it can be toxic if prepared incorrectly.
Rusty-leaved Alpenrose
Rhododendron ferrugineum L.
Rhododendron ferrugineum L. is a moderately toxic alpine shrub that bears pinkish-red summer flowers and grows on acidic siliceous soils.
Bog Labrador Tea
Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) Kron & Judd
Rhododendron groenlandicum is a northern evergreen shrub with traditional uses, though it contains toxic alkaloids.
Yellow Azalea
Rhododendron luteum Sweet
Rhododendron luteum, the yellow azalea, is a toxic cultivated flowering shrub native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia.
Pacific rhododendron
Rhododendron macrophyllum D.Don ex G.Don
Rhododendron macrophyllum is a Pacific Northwest evergreen pink-flowering shrub containing toxin that can poison honey.
great rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum L.
Rhododendron maximum L. (rosebay rhododendron) is a clonal evergreen shrub dominant in southern Appalachian forest understories, cultivated for horticulture.
Taiwan azalea
Rhododendron oldhamii Maxim.
Rhododendron oldhamii, commonly Taiwan azalea, is a toxic non-self-pollinating azalea native to Taiwan’s mountains.
Pinxter Flower
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Michx.) Shinners
Rhododendron periclymenoides is a toxic rhododendron native to eastern North America, pollinated by hummingbirds and butterflies.
Pontic Rhododendron
Rhododendron ponticum L.
Rhododendron ponticum L. is an evergreen shrub or small tree with ornamental cultivation, invasive status in Britain, and toxic mad honey properties.
wax currant
Ribes cereum Douglas
Ribes cereum Douglas is a North American native shrub that produces berries eaten by wildlife and some human groups.
swamp currant
Ribes lacustre (Pers.) Poir.
Ribes lacustre is a North American spiny shrub with edible berries eaten by animals and most indigenous groups.
black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia L.
Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is a nitrogen-fixing legume tree native to eastern North America, widely cultivated globally.
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