Despite the wide variety of plants considered poisonous, human fatalities caused by poisonous plants – especially resulting from accidental ingestion – are rare in the developed world. Many plants, such as peanuts, produce compounds that are only dangerous to people who have developed an allergic reaction to them, and with a few exceptions, those plants are not included here (see list of allergens instead). There is a distinction between plants that are poisonous because they naturally produce dangerous phytochemicals, and those that may become dangerous for other reasons, including but not limited to infection by bacterial, viral, or fungal parasites the uptake of toxic compounds through contaminated soil or groundwater and/or the ordinary processes of decay after the plant has died this list deals exclusively with plants that produce phytochemicals. There is significant overlap between plants considered poisonous and those with psychotropic properties, some of which are toxic enough to present serious health risks at recreational doses. These questions and others constitute an active area of research in modern botany, with important implications for understanding plant evolution and medical science.īelow is an extensive, if incomplete, list of plants containing one or more poisonous parts that pose a serious risk of illness, injury, or death to humans or domestic animals. What are the potential medical uses of these compounds?.What chemical structures and mechanisms of toxicity are involved in the compounds that provide defense?.Which herbivores, specifically, are the plants defended against?.Which plants have which types of defense?.The varieties of phytochemical defenses in plants are so numerous that many questions about them remain unanswered, including: Many of these poisonous compounds also have important medicinal benefits.

Many of the known plant defense compounds primarily defend against consumption by insects, though other animals, including humans, that consume such plants may also experience negative effects, ranging from mild discomfort to death. Tannin, for example, is a defensive compound that emerged relatively early in the evolutionary history of plants, while more complex molecules such as polyacetylenes are found in younger groups of plants such as the Asterales.

Over millennia, through the process of natural selection, plants have evolved the means to produce a vast and complicated array of chemical compounds to deter herbivores. Some plants have physical defenses such as thorns, spines and prickles, but by far the most common type of protection is chemical. Plants cannot move to escape their predators, so they must have other means of protecting themselves from herbivorous animals. The toxins in poisonous plants affect herbivores, and deter them from consuming the plants. Plants that cause irritation on contact are also described as 'poisonous'. Plants that produce toxins are referred to as poisonous plants. If the creature does succeed it takes 2d4 poison damage and is not poisoned.Australia, 1907: Cattlemen survey 700 cattle that were killed overnight by poisonous plants. A creature subjected to poison made from wolfsbane roots must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 5 minutes and take 4d4 poison damage. If you try to make poison you will need to be proficient with Poisoner’s Kit or must succeed on a DC 9 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 poison damage. One Wolfsbane root can be used to make one dose of poison. If the creature does succeed it takes 1d6 poison damage and is not poisoned. A creature subjected to poison made from wolfsbane flowers must succeed on a DC 9 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute and take 3d4 poison damage. If you try to make poison you will need access to fresh water. Three Wolfsbane flowers can be used to make one dose of poison. As well each plant has 1d10 flower buds which can be turned into flowers using druid craft. These plants grow in forests and mountains in groups of 1d6 plants. When gathering this flower you must succeed on a DC 7 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 poison damage. This plant has small blue flowers which look harmless but are actually extremely poisonous.

Wolfsbane flower poison