Looks can be very deceiving when it comes to flowers. So, today, we will offer you a list consisting of ten gorgeous but deadly flowers and a quick summary of some of the deadliest plants in the world.
However, just like us, plants have been evolving for hundreds of thousands of years and have developed different means to protect themselves. For this reason, they flourished from thorns and spines to deadly chemicals.
Therefore, in this article, we’ll discuss 10 deadly flowers to watch out for. These flowers look harmless to the naked eye, but they also contain toxins and poisonous substances that can be lethal for both humans and pets. Moreover, since we are in the fun section of this website, we will also present you with some of the deadliest plants and most poisonous specs of vegetation that Mother Nature created for our amazement (and disgust). So, without any further introductions, let’s begin our “deadly journey”.
Our List of Beautiful But Deadly Flowers
1. The Queen of Poisons, Aconitum 
The first entry on our list of deadly flowers is Aconitum, known as wolfsbane and pretty much the bane of everything. So, while it does belong to the buttercup family, there is nothing sweet or nice about it (except for its looks). A few drops of juice from this deadly flower’s roots and you have some heart failure and cardiac muscles’ paralysis to deal with – if you have the time, of course. Therefore, try to stay away!
Other Names:
Aconite, Monkshood, Wolf's-bane, Leopard's bane, Devil's helmet
Native:
Mountainous parts of the Northern Hemisphere
Toxicity:
Deadly. It contains aconitine, a potent neurotoxin, mostly in its roots and tubers.
2. The Fragrant Killer, Oleander
Next, Oleander, known since Ancient Greece and Rome and described by Plinius, is one of the most toxic and deadliest garden plants in the world. So, you may use it as an ornamental shrub or hedge, but keep in mind all the plant’s parts are poisonous. Therefore, if you or your pet eat by accident an oleander plant’s part, the poisoning symptoms can range from vomiting and diarrhea to seizures, coma, and death. In conclusion, make sure you don’t touch it, either, as some people suffer severe skin reactions upon contact.
Other Names:
Nerium, Nerium Oleander
Native:
Mediterranean region. Grown as ornamental plants worldwide.
Toxicity:
Deadly. All its parts contain the cardiac glycosides oleandrin and oleandrigenin.
3. The Innocent Killer, Lily of the Valley
Should you ingest such flower – and we understand the appeal, it smells terrific – expect the worst. Lily of the Valley is a “grade 1” deadly flower on the poison scale. Also, it acts through the cardiac glycosides, which create a similar effect with the Digitalis exposure, meaning that this delicate, gorgeous, tantalizing flower is also one of the deadliest killer plants in existence.
Other Names:
Convallaria majalis, May bells, Our Lady's tears, and Mary's tears
Native:
Asia and Europe
Toxicity:
Deadly. All parts are highly poisonous and contain saponins and Aze, a poisonous animo acid.
4. The Angel’s Trumpet, Brugmansia
One of the most toxic ornamental plants out there, Brugmansia contains alkaloids that you do not want to ingest or touch. Moreover, even if the toxins of this plant – scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine – found excellent uses in medicine and pharmacology, the use of any plant’s parts can be deadly without a doctor’s supervision. So, we strongly suggest keeping the distance!
Other Names:
Brugmansia ‘Feingold’
Native:
Tropical parts of South America, Andes, Venezuela, Chile, south-eastern Brazil. Grown as ornamental plants worldwide.
Toxicity:
Deadly. All parts are highly poisonous and contain tropane alkaloids, including hyoscine (scopolamine), hyoscyamine, norhyoscine.
5. The Mind-Altering Honey, Azaleas
All parts of azaleas are poisonous for humans and pets. Therefore, while gorgeous in looks, azaleas are deadly flowers containing grayanotoxins. So, ingesting a small quantity of the plant will not likely lead to severe illnesses, but consuming a larger part of the plant correlates with life-threatening conditions.
Other Names:
Rhododendron
Native:
Asia, Europe, and North America. Grown as ornamental plants worldwide.
Toxicity:
Deadly. It contains andromedotoxins in its leaves and nectar. Its nectar can be fed to bees and used to create lethal honey, known as ‘mad honey’.
6. The Lazarus Bell, Checkered Lily
You may have heard about this flower as a snake’s head fritillary. So, as the title suggests, this plant is poisonous like a venomous snake. Moreover, just like the lily of the valley, it is a grade-1 poisonous plant that you should handle with a lot of care.
Other Names:
Snake's head, Chess flower, Frog-cup, Leper lily, Drooping tulip, Fritillary
Native:
Europe and western Asia
Toxicity:
Deadly. Its bulbs contain poisonous alkaloids.
7. The Deadly Nightshade, Belladonna
This perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae is as deadly as its reputation. Moreover, you probably have read crime novels or seen CSI TV shows related to belladonna poisoning. According to the USDA Forest Service, belladonna means “beautiful woman” in Italian, but you knew that probably. Here are other interesting facts about this poisonous flower!
With all these highly toxic compounds, one might wonder why deadly nightshade was and is still being used by people. As with many poisonous plants there are many reasons for their use, both good (medicinal) and bad (weapons and poisons). The Romans used belladonna as a biological weapon to contaminate their enemies’ food reserves. In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the Scottish army defeats the Danes by contaminating their liquor supply with belladonna, inducing a deep, comatose sleep, and murdering them in their hapless state. Deadly nightshade was also an important plant in the medieval witches’ pharmacopoeia in brews and salves, used as a constituent in their flying ointments. During World War II, the Germans invented a deadly, odorless nerve gas and the only antidote to its paralyzing effects turned out to be atropine.
Other Names:
Atropa Belladonna
Native:
Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia
Toxicity:
Deadly. One of the most toxic plants. The entire plant contains tropane alkaloids.
8. The Twining Vine, Jessamine – Deadly Flowers
Carolina jessamine is a common garden plant loved for the profusion of yellow flowers it yields in the summer. However, it is also one of the deadliest flowers out there. It contains neurotoxic alkaloids that affect nerve endings and cause paralysis, muscle weakness, and clonic convulsions in animals and humans. Also, all parts of the plant are poisonous, but you have to watch out for the flowers and the roots with even more care.
Other Names:
Gelsemium sempervirens, Yellow Jessamine, Carolina jasmine, Evening trumpet flower, Gelsemium, and Woodbine.
Native:
Subtropical and tropical America and southeastern and south-central United States
Toxicity:
All its parts contain the toxic alkaloids gelsemine and gelseminine and its sap can cause skin irritation.
9. The Philosopher’s Bane, Hemlock
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is one of the most poisonous and deadliest plants in the world. However, you should make the difference between poisonous hemlock and Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota). Poisonous hemlock grows throughout the United States. It is toxic to pets, livestock, and humans, so make sure you keep an eye on it should you choose to grow it in the garden.
Even though both are in the Apiaceae family and have hollow stems, poison hemlock’s stem is hairless and has purple blotches. Also, even a very young poison hemlock will display the purple blotching. On the other hand, the stem of Queen Anne’s lace doesn’t have purple blotches and is hairy. See the photos below for a comparison.
Other Names:
Conium maculatum, Poison hemlock
Native:
Europe and North Africa
Toxicity:
Deadly. This is the plant that killed Socrates. It contains conium and multiple toxic alkaloids.
10. The Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum – Deadly Flowers
This cool-season perennial of the Lily family is poisonous in all its parts, but make sure you stay away from its bulbs and roots. This deadly flower – that blooms in late spring or early summer – contains cardiac glycosides that have life-threatening side effects. Also, you should never use it as medicine.
However, in order to stay away, you should know how to recognize it. So, its flowers are a showy white with six white petals with a noticeable greenish stripe down the middle on the back of the petals. Last but not least, you should also keep your dog away from it, as it can really harm him too!
Other Names:
Ornithogalum umbellatum
Native:
Europe and Southern Africa
Toxicity:
Some of the plants from this genus are toxic and contain alkaloids and cardenolides in their bulbs.
11 Deadly and Killer Flowers You Should Also Know About
Also, as we said, we will resume here other deadly flowers you should know about before considering planting such flowers and ornamentals in your home or garden! So, let’s learn a little about 11 other deadly flowers!
- Castor Oil Plant – Nausea, bloody diarrhea, blood pressure drops, and intense abdominal pain are some of the symptoms of ricin poisoning which in high doses will trigger death. Also, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, 2007, the castor plant is the most poisonous plant in the world.;
- English Ivy – this beautiful indoor plant cleans the air and makes an excellent hanging vegetal ornament, but keep in mind it is toxic to pets and children;
- Dracula’s Flower (Dracunculus vulgaris) – hard to ingest, as when in bloom, its flowers reek of rotten meat;
- Titan Arum, also known as the corpse flower for its rotting-meat smell;
- Gypsophila, known as baby breath, looks wonderful but can cause skin irritation, vomiting, nausea;
- Bleeding heart, a gorgeous plant will all parts poisonous;
- Bloodroot, beautiful, but leading to organ failure if ingested;
- Foxglove, containing digitalis, fatal;
- Morning glory, smell it only, as it can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, or hallucinations;
- Peace lily, one of the most beloved indoor plants that clean the air – just make sure it does not get in contact with children and pets;
- Iris, one of those deadly flowers that look gorgeous but can lead to vomiting, fever, or diarrhea for people and pets. Also, in the classic novels, ladies used this deadly flower to poison themselves.
Final Thoughts
Finally, that was our list of the 10 most beautiful but deadly flowers and eleven more dangerous plants you should stay away from. So, tell us what you think about these powerful plants down below. Also, if you’d like us to add one or more dangerous and poisonous plants to the list, let us know in the comments section. Not to mention that I am truly interested to find out if you had any experience with these twenty-one greed murderers. However, I hope you don’t have any experience of such a kind to share with us!
Until then, make sure to be very careful around these plants, as they are dangerous for both humans and pets.
You Had Me at Gardening
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About the Author - Denis Sgarbura
Hello. I’mDenis. My passion for growing plants started when I was around 10 or 11 years old. My grandpa loved to take care of roses. He had a breathtaking rose garden. I wanted one badly. So, I started my own. I was stoked when my roses showed signs of growth.It became a competition: my garden vs. his garden. He won every time, but I never gave up and did my best to make it extraordinary. I read everything there was to know about roses and how to grow them.
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FAQs
What plant is beautiful but dangerous? ›
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Described by Pliny the Elder in Ancient Rome, oleander is a beautiful plant known for its striking flowers. Though commonly grown as a hedge and ornamental, all parts of the oleander plant are deadly and contain lethal cardiac glycosides known as oleandrin and neriine.
The yellow center of the 'killer chrysanthemum' contains a natural toxin that is a powerful insecticide. This flower, the pyrethrum plant, contains a potent chemical that is made into an effective, and environmentally friendly, insecticide. Gilgil, KenyaThe deadliest flower in the insect world is soft to the touch.
What is the deadliest poisonous plant? ›Oleander Nerium
Every portion of this plant is packed of toxins, making it the most dangerous plant on the planet. Oleandrin and neriine are two of the most potent. The poison of an oleander is so potent that it can even poison someone who eats honey created by bees that have ingested oleander nectar.
- Hemlock. The residents of Europe and North Africa should be aware of this cute blossom. ...
- Water hemlock. This wildflower is closely related to the above-mentioned hemlock. ...
- Bleeding Heart. ...
- Flying Duck Orchid. ...
- English Broom. ...
- Nerium Oleander. ...
- Aconitum. ...
- Angel's Trumpet.
Dianthus barbatus 'Heart Attack' - Plant Finder.
What is the 10 most dangerous plants in the world? ›- Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) ...
- Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) ...
- Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) ...
- Lily-Of-The-Valley (Convallaria majalis) ...
- Oleander (Nerium oleander) ...
- Rosary Pea, or crab's eye vine (Abrus precatorius) ...
- Cerbera odollam. ...
- Hemlock water-dropwort (Oenanthe crocata)
These include agapanthus, autumn crocus, clivia, daffodil, hippeastrum, hyacinth, lily of the valley, tulips and some irises. The bright yellow and red seeds are used in bush tucker, but only after the toxins have been leached out. They're poisonous if you eat them fresh from the branch.
What flower can paralyze you? ›Gelsemium comes in three flowering varieties – two native to North America and one to China. All three can be deadly. The most toxic variety of gelsemium, Gelsemium elegans, only grows in Asia, and is also known as “heartbreak grass”.
What flower is the kiss of death? ›Costus Sp. Longibractiatus Kiss of Death – Aloha Tropicals.
What is the tree of death? ›The death tree or Manchineel tree is so poisonous, that even Guinness Book of World Records has recorded it to be the most dangerous tree in the world. The poisonous sap oozes out of everything, the bark, leaves and even the fruit.
What fruit peel is poisonous? ›
Mangoes. Just like raw cashews, the skin, bark, and leaves of mangoes contain urushiol, the toxin in poison ivy.
What color flowers is for death? ›White - White is the traditional color of funeral flowers, as well as sympathy flowers. The color white evokes feelings of peace, innocence, and honor. White flowers are suitable for any funeral occasion.
What flower is toxic to humans? ›Nerium Oleander is known to be one of the most poisonous flowers in the world that is toxic from root to tip. It looks so soothing with white, magenta and crimson colours, elegantly spreading its fragrance, but did you know it is one of the most toxic, poisonous flowers in the world?
What is the strongest poison? ›1. Botulinum toxin. Scientists differ about the relative toxicities of substances, but they seem to agree that botulinum toxin, produced by anaerobic bacteria, is the most toxic substance known.
What poisonous plant kills the fastest? ›Deadly Nightshade
The flowers of this plant are small, reddish purple and tubular shaped, but it is the berries that are the most deadly part of the plant. The atropine found in belladonna disrupts the nervous system and can destroy the body's ability to regulate breathing and heart rate, leading to death.
Overview. Angel's trumpet is a plant. The leaves and flowers are used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people use angel's trumpet as a recreational drug to induce hallucinations and euphoria.
What is a flower demon? ›The Flower Demon (Hana Oni?) was a demon in Kimetsu No Yaiba: A New Full Moon. She was also one of the 4 servants of the new Lowermoon 2, Haruyo. The Flower Demon's job was to gather information in the Northwest Village as Haruyo had said there was a Hashira roaming around looking for demons.
What is an evil flower? ›Evil Flowers are plant-based Dark Gaia minions that only appear as enemies in the the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of of Sonic Unleashed. They were once ordinary plants, but were mutated by exposure to the Dark Gaia energy that spread throughout the world after Dr. Eggman shattered the planet.
Which flower is devil? ›| Datura | |
|---|---|
| Datura wrightii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Dragon's Breath celosia is a newer variety that shows off rich reddish-pink flowers and purple-flushed foliage. It grows 24 inches and 16 wide. Celosia 'Dragon's Breath' makes a superb feature plant for your summer patio displays. Feathery plumes of pillar-box red flowers rise above a mass of red-green foliage.
What is Angels breath flower? ›
Achillea ptarmica Angel's Breath
The flowers of Achillea Angel's Breath resemble Baby's Breath, also known as Gypsophila, with sprays of pure double-white flowers. Finely toothed foliage is dark green. Yarrows are a classic choice for the sunny garden.
From Genesis to Revelation, the olive tree symbolizes God's blessings: peace, prosperity, wisdom and honor. Samuel poured olive oil on David's head to show that God had blessed him (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Compared to majestic cedars, the olive tree looks small and stubby.
What tree did Jesus get crucified on? ›As legend has it, the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made from a dogwood tree. God decreed that the dogwood tree would from that day forth never grow large enough to be used to make a cross. Thus, the dogwood tree is a small, under story tree.
Which vegetable is poisonous if eaten raw? ›Yucca. One word: Cyanide! This root vegetable, a staple of South American cuisine, is packed with vitamins and minerals. But it's also hiding a sneaky, potentially lethal ingredient.
What fruit is poisonous when not ripe? ›Naturally occurring toxins in the lychee fruit have been linked to toxicity that leads to fever, convulsions and seizures. Ackee -- the national fruit of Jamaica -- contains the same poison as the lychee when unripe and can cause severe illness. It is usually cooked before eating.
How poisonous are banana peels? ›Banana peels are totally edible, if prepared correctly. Bananas are known for their high potassium content, with each medium fruit containing a whopping 422 milligrams. The peel contains an additional 78 milligrams of potassium, plus plenty of filling fiber.
What is beautiful but dangerous? ›Beautiful But Dangerous (also released as La donna più bella del mondo/ The World's Most Beautiful Woman) is a 1956 French-Italian comedy drama romance film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The picture is a biopic about Italian opera soprano Lina Cavalieri.
What plant is known as the beautiful killer? ›Nicknamed the “beautiful killer”, Purple Loosestrife is a serious threat to wetlands in North America.
What animal is beautiful but dangerous? ›Blue-ringed Octopus
There are at least four types of Blue Ring Octopus, all of which are venomous and all of which feature these beautiful rings which can change colour when the octopus feels threatened. And when you are only 12- 20cm in length, that must happen all the time.
1. Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) Indigenous to North and South Carolina, the Venus flytrap, is probably the most classic and the meanest carnivorous plant of all. Most of the time, these plants thrive in nutrient-poor soils and thus practice carnivory in order to get more nutrients from insects.
What is the most extreme word for beautiful? ›
Pulchritudinous is an adjective that means physically beautiful or attractive. Pulchritudinous is a grandiose way of saying someone or something is good-looking.
What is the worlds dangerous word? ›Andrew Newberg, this word can damage both the speaker's and the listener's brain. In a Psychology Today article, they called it “the most dangerous word in the world.” What word is it? It's “NO”.
What is extremely beautiful called? ›Some common synonyms of gorgeous are glorious, resplendent, splendid, sublime, and superb. While all these words mean "extraordinarily or transcendently impressive," gorgeous implies a rich splendor especially in display of color.
What is Satan's plant? ›...
Proboscidea (plant)
| Proboscidea | |
|---|---|
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Martyniaceae |
| Genus: | Proboscidea Schmidel |
| Species | |
#1.
Close up of Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) sucking blood on human skin. The mosquito is the single deadliest, most dangerous animal in the world and also one of the smallest. Mosquitoes are estimated to cause between 750,000 and one million human deaths per year.
The slow loris' wide eyes make it the most innocent looking and adorable animal ever. But beware—this cuddly looking creature is actually poisonous. They have a small gland on the side of their elbow that will secrete poison when they are disturbed. Find out about these immortal animals that can basically live forever.
What is the most feared land animal? ›The Nile Crocodile takes the crown for being the most dangerous, as it's responsible for more than 300 fatal attacks on people each year.
What if I put my finger in a Venus flytrap? ›And it turns out that if you stick your finger into a trap, nothing's really going to happen. If you move your finger around a little bit to trigger those trigger hairs then the trap will start to close.
Are there any predatory plants? ›The Venus flytrap is just one of more than 800 identified species of predatory plants across the globe, including Australia. Many carnivorous plants have evolved as a response to habitats that are lacking in nitrogen (a nutrient vital for plant growth), such as bogs, swamps, sand and rocky outcrops.