WHAT IS A POISONOUS PLANT?
In the broadest sense, a poisonous plant is any plant that is potentially harmful in any manner to humans or animals. It can be any plant that causes symptoms of toxicity and can be, but is not necessarily, fatal. Poisonous plants are categorized in broad areas based on the effects they cause: 1) Allergies, 2) non-allergenic dermatitis [skin irritation from direct or indirect contact], and 3) internal poisoning [from ingesting parts of a plant]. In addition, some authorities also include mechanical injury [from thorns, spines, stinging or irritating hairs, etc.]. TOXIC PLANT SUBSTANCES Plants are chemical factories. Literally thousands upon thousands of chemical compounds are produced by plants. Most are harmless, yet many are very useful to man and some are essential to plant and animal life. Technically, a poison is a substance that in suitable quantities has properties harmful or fatal to an organism when it is brought into contact with or absorbed by the organism. Toxin, a more spe
