Perhaps the most famously lethal on our list is
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, based on the amount of poison it takes to kill a human, the most poisonous common plant in the world is the castor bean (Ricinus communis).
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.
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is often referred to as the UK's most dangerous plant, with its toxic sap that can cause life changing burns and blisters for those that come into contact with it.
Poisonous plants include poison oak, daffodils, and giant hogweed. Touching some plant saps, stems, or leaves may cause a skin rash. Parts of many plants may lead to severe gastrointestinal upset if eaten. Ingesting some plants may result in heart problems or nervous system issues.
The reality on the ground is that only four of our poisonous plants here in Britain are likely to be confused with similar-looking edible or medicinal species. These are hemlock, water hemlock, foxglove, and the yew tree.
Botulinum toxin, the nerve agent commonly called botox, is best known for its miraculous effect on wrinkles.
These plants are beautiful and a vital part of the ecosystem - many are a food source for other species, especially pollinators. So enjoy looking at them but take care and don't touch them.
Perhaps the most famously lethal on our list is Atropa belladonna, the aptly named Deadly Nightshade. This toxic plant belongs to the same family as tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines, and can be found across Europe, including in Britain, as well as North Africa, Western Asia and some parts of the USA and Canada.
The neurotoxins, aconitine and mesaconitine can be absorbed through the skin and cause severe respiratory and cardiac problems. So do not pick or handle this plant without gloves, especially by the root.
Henbane. Hyoscyamus niger, henbane, is, like mandrake, a member of a huge botanical order, the Solanaceae, and like mandrake is capable of inducing a profound and long lasting unconsciousness, thanks to its hyoscine content. Unlike mandrake, however, henbane grows naturally in the British Isles.
Known colloquially as the gympie gympie (from the Gubbi Gubbi/ Kabi Kabi name for the plant, gimpi gimpi), gympie stinger, and giant stinging tree (D. excelsa), this plant has the dubious honour of being arguably the most painful plant in the world.
Dendrocnide moroides, commonly known in Australia as the stinging tree, stinging bush, or gympie-gympie, is a plant in the nettle family Urticaceae found in rainforest areas of Malesia and Australia. It is notorious for its extremely painful and long-lasting sting.
Blue death is extremely poisonous and can be fatal to humans.
Synanceia verrucosa, a species of stonefish, is lined with dorsal spines that deliver an intensely painful and lethal venom. It is sometimes called the most venomous fish in the world.
Dubbed the 'corpse flower', Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) stinks of rotting flesh when in bloom. Whilst some pollinators are attracted to floral aromas, the pollinators of Titan arum love to feed and breed on flesh and dung. Imitating a dead animal is what Titan arum does best.
Heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. This is the case in the U.S. and worldwide. More than half of all people who die due to heart disease are men. Medical professionals use the term heart disease to describe several conditions.
The manchineel (aka Hippomane mancinella, aka the Tree of Death) is native to coastal areas in southern North America, such as South Florida, as well as the northern reaches of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic to animals and people. Even inhaling the pollen can cause an adverse reaction in some people. The leaves have fine hairs that can cause a rash that can last for two to three weeks.
Foxglove, while very beautiful with its trumpet like blossoms, are very poisonous to dogs, cats, and even humans! Foxglove contains naturally-occurring poisons that affect the heart, specifically cardenolides or bufadienolides.
Biennial types can be dug up after they have set seed, but perennial foxgloves should be cut back for autumn, ready to bloom again the following year.
It is called the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non- irritating. If the early signs of CO poisoning are ignored, a person may lose consciousness and be unable to escape the danger. More people die from carbon monoxide exposure than any other kind of poisoning.
Tetrodotoxin interferes with the transmission of signals from nerves to muscles and causes an increasing paralysis of the muscles of the body. Tetrodotoxin poisoning can be fatal.
The acute toxicity of arsenic has been recognized since antiquity. Known as both the “king of poisons” and the “poison of kings,” the element's infamy grew during the Middle Ages as an almost untraceable means of murder.