Beware! 10 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Beware! 10 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Written by: Keya Gambhir
Plants can look pretty and harmless, but some are super dangerous! People can get very sick, or even die, if they touch or eat certain plants. From exotic trees in tropical forests to weeds growing along ditches in your neighborhood, nature hides some serious threats. Let’s explore ten of the world’s deadliest plants and fungi.
1. Water Hemlock
Water hemlock is often called the most deadly plant in North America. All parts of this plant are highly toxic to people and animals. Eating even a little can cause stomach pain, seizures, nausea, and sometimes death. It usually grows three to six feet tall and has smooth, hollow stems, which may be green, purple, or spotted. Water hemlock is widespread across the continent, so it’s important to know what it looks like.
2. Poison Hemlock
Poison hemlock is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, but invasive in North America. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Ingesting even a small amount can be fatal. This tall plant, three to eight feet high, has hairless, hollow stems with purple spots. It’s another plant to avoid when walking near roadsides, ditches, or wetlands.
3. Giant Hogweed
Giant hogweed is native to Asia but invasive in North America. It can grow up to 18 feet tall! Its thick, hollow stems have ridges and purple spots. Touching the plant can cause severe skin irritation, blistering rashes, permanent scarring, and even blindness. Just standing under it in sunlight after contact can make your skin extremely sensitive.
4. Cow Parsnip
Cow parsnip is native to North America and can grow four to ten feet tall. Its fuzzy, grooved stems and large white flowers might seem harmless, but contact with the plant can cause skin irritation, rashes, and discoloration. It’s especially dangerous for people with sensitive skin.
5. Wild Parsnip
Wild parsnip is invasive in North America and comes from Asia and Europe. Its yellow flowers make it easy to identify, but it’s still toxic. Touching the plant can cause skin irritation, blistering, and discoloration. Wild parsnip usually grows two to five feet tall, and its hairless stems are grooved.
6. Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s lace, or wild carrot, looks delicate with its lacy white flowers. But it can be tricky to tell apart from toxic relatives like hemlock. People with sensitive skin may experience irritation when touching it. Always be sure what you’re handling before touching or picking plants in the wild.
7. Deadly Nightshade
Deadly nightshade grows in Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, and parts of North America. Its shiny black berries are extremely poisonous, just 10 can kill an adult. The plant’s name, “belladonna,” comes from a time when women used drops of its juice to make their pupils appear bigger. Today, we know it can cause hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, and blindness.
8. Oleander
Oleander is a beautiful flowering shrub with pink or white blooms. Unfortunately, it’s highly poisonous. Eating any part can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and heart problems. Its bitter taste makes accidental ingestion rare, but caution is still needed.
9. Gympie-Gympie
This Australian plant has tiny hairs that inject a poison causing excruciating pain. The sting can last months and is so intense some victims have taken their own lives to escape it, earning the grim nickname “suicide plant.”
10. Manchineel Tree
Found in tropical parts of the Americas, the manchineel is called “the world’s most dangerous tree.” Its fruit, bark, and sap are all poisonous. Even standing beneath it in the rain can burn your skin. Its fruits, sometimes called “little apples of death,” can stop the heart if eaten.
Other deadly plants include lily-of-the-valley, rosary pea, thornapples, and monkshood (wolf’s bane), all beautiful but poisonous. Some have been used in folk medicine, arrow poisons, or even witchcraft.
Even though some plants are dangerous, many are safe to touch and eat. Always ask an adult before handling unknown plants, especially outdoors. Nature is beautiful, but it’s important to stay alert and stay safe!
References
Celley, Courtney. 2021. “Don’t Touch These Plants!” U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/story/dont-touch-these-plants.
Laville, Jenny. 2025. “Pick Your Poison – the Deadliest Plants on the Planet.” Royal Horticultural Society. https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/plants-we-love/poisonous-plants.
Petruzzello, Melissa. 2025. “7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/7-of-the-worlds-deadliest-plants.
“10 of the World’s Most Poisonous Plants.” 2025. Discover Wildlife. https://www.discoverwildlife.com/plant-facts/worlds-most-poisonous-plants.