Poisonous & Toxic Species

⚠️ Important Safety Warning

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.

Green Figwort
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Green Figwort

Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort.

Scrophularia umbrosa (green figwort) is a perennial sprawling herb native to Europe and western Asia.

Biting Stonecrop
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Biting Stonecrop

Sedum acre L.

Sedum acre L., or biting stonecrop, is an evergreen mat-forming perennial with yellow flowers, toxic if consumed and irritating to skin.

Lanceleaf Stonecrop
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Lanceleaf Stonecrop

Sedum lanceolatum Torr.

Sedum lanceolatum, or lanceleaf stonecrop, is a small North American succulent and key host for the Rocky Mountain apollo butterfly.

Cambridge Milk-parsley
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Cambridge Milk-parsley

Selinum carvifolia (L.) L.

Selinum carvifolia (Cambridge milk parsley) is a rare Apiaceae flowering plant native to Eurasia, naturalized in the US.

threadleaf groundsel
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

threadleaf groundsel

Senecio flaccidus Less.

Senecio flaccidus Less. (threadleaf ragwort) is a short-lived perennial shrub native to central/southwestern US and northern/central Mexico.

Madagascar Ragwort
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Madagascar Ragwort

Senecio madagascariensis Poir.

Senecio madagascariensis is a poisonous African daisy-like herb that has been introduced to many warmer regions worldwide.

Mojave Ragwort
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Mojave Ragwort

Senecio mohavensis A.Gray

Senecio mohavensis is an annual desert herb native to southwestern US and northwestern Mexico that causes minor dermatitis on contact.

cotton burnweed
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

cotton burnweed

Senecio quadridentatus Labill.

Cotton fireweed (Senecio quadridentatus Labill.) is an invasive unpalatable poisonous short-lived herb native to New Zealand.

Arrowleaf Senecio
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Arrowleaf Senecio

Senecio triangularis Hook.

Senecio triangularis Hook. is a yellow-flowered North American plant that is reportedly poisonous to animals.

Guajillo
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Guajillo

Senegalia berlandieri (Benth.) Britton & Rose

Senegalia berlandieri is a toxic North American Fabaceae shrub sometimes illegally used as a replacement for Acacia rigidula in adulterated supplements.

Peanut-Butter Cassia
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Peanut-Butter Cassia

Senna didymobotrya (Fresen.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

Senna didymobotrya, or African senna, is a poisonous aromatic shrub used in Kenyan culture for food preparation and skin infection treatment.

Lindheimer's Senna
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Lindheimer's Senna

Senna lindheimeriana (Scheele) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

Senna lindheimeriana, or velvet leaf senna, is a toxic perennial Fabaceae flowering plant native to the southwestern US and eastern Mexico, used in xeriscaping.

American Sicklepod
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

American Sicklepod

Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

Senna obtusifolia is a widespread weedy plant used in traditional medicine, food production, and commercial food additives.

Coffee Senna
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Coffee Senna

Senna occidentalis (L.) Link

Senna occidentalis is a foul-smelling toxic pantropical shrub that has traditional dietary and medicinal uses in South Asia.

Two-leaved Senna
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Two-leaved Senna

Senna roemeriana (Scheele) H.S.Irwin & Barneby

Twoleaf senna (Senna roemeriana) is a toxic perennial flowering fabaceous plant native to the south-central US and northern Mexico.

Rattlebush
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Rattlebush

Sesbania drummondii (Rydb.) Cory

Sesbania drummondii is a poisonous medium-sized perennial legume shrub native to the southeastern US.

Scarlet Sesbane
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Scarlet Sesbane

Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth.

Sesbania punicea is a toxic, spreading shrub native to South America that grows in moist, disturbed areas.

Canadian buffalo-berry
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Canadian buffalo-berry

Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt.

Shepherdia canadensis is a dioecious nitrogen-fixing deciduous shrub known as soapberry, native to northern North America.

Oconee bells
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Oconee bells

Shortia galacifolia Torr. & A.Gray

Shortia galacifolia is an endemic relict shade-loving flowering plant native to a small North American range, that can be cultivated further north.

Moss Campion
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

Moss Campion

Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq.

Silene acaulis, or moss campion, is a low cushion alpine/arctic plant with complex flower gender and warming-related climate risk.

fire pink
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

fire pink

Silene virginica L.

Silene virginica (fire pink) is a red-flowered North American perennial that is mainly pollinated by ruby-throated hummingbirds.

prairie dock
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

prairie dock

Silphium terebinthinaceum Jacq.

Silphium terebinthinaceum (prairie dock) is a North American prairie-adapted perennial herb with historic medicinal uses and potential toxicity.

milk thistle
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

milk thistle

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

Silybum marianum, or milk thistle, is an herb cultivated for food and traditional medicine, that is invasive in many introduced regions.

jojoba
⚠️ Poisonous Plantae

jojoba

Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K.Schneid.

Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) is a North American desert shrub grown commercially for its oil, used in skincare and other products.

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