Pick Your Poisonous Plant Trivia Quiz

Answer: Deadly nightshade

The deadly belladonna is found in Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. It has also been introduced to some parts of North America. All parts of this plant are poisonous. The symptoms of belladonna poisoning are myriad and include sensitivity to light, blurred vision, loss of balance, headache, rash, slurred speech, confusion, hallucinations and convulsions.

It is also poisonous to some animals, causing paralysis. It seems to have no effect on rabbits or cattle. These animals eat the plant with no negative impact.

The name belladonna means beautiful lady in Italian which is where the plant got its name. The plant was used to dilate the pupils of women, giving them a more attractive look. It was found to cause vision problems and this practice was stopped.

Answer: Angel's trumpet

Angel's trumpet is a plant with sagging flowers, used for ornamental purposes. The name comes from the shape of the large flowers. The plant no longer grows in the wild. It does have uses in medicine. As an example, it is used externally on the skin to alleviate pains such as rheumatism or arthritis. All parts of the plant though are toxic, especially the seeds and leaves.

As a result of its poisonous nature, it is very rarely used internally and sometimes only as part of a larger mixture to induce vomiting or as a sedative.

It has intense hallucinogenic qualities that have been described as terrifying as they are also accompanied by a complete loss of reality and a failure to remember what happened.

Answer: Water hemlock

The water hemlock is native mostly to the northern hemisphere, found in North America and Europe. It is typically found in wet meadows or marshes. This perennial plant can grow as high as eight feet and typically flowers in the spring and summer, with petals of green or white that take the shape of an umbrella. It is incredibly toxic to humans and although the poison Cicutoxin is found all over the plant, it is most prevalent in the roots and most toxic in early springtime. If it is ingested it can be fatal and people have also been poisoned from contact to the skin. Symptoms include seizures, vomiting, nausea, confusion and drowsiness. Cattle have also died if this plant has been uprooted. Animals have been known to die within fifteen minutes of eating this plant!

Answer: Tomato

The tomato plant originated in Central and South America and is a common and popular food for humans. The leaves, stem and the green unripe tomato can be dangerous to humans if consumed in large amounts. Contrary to popular belief, the tomato is not a food that your dog simply can't eat.

A dog can enjoy a bit of tomato snack every now and then. Tomatoes are acidic and, if consumed in large amounts, can upset your dogs stomach. The alkaloid tomatine, present in tomatoes, can also be dangerous to your dog but only if consumed in very large amounts.

Answer: Daffodil

With names such as daffodil, narcissus and jonquil, this flower has a trumpet shaped flower and is generally white or yellow. It is native to Europe and North Africa and is the national flower of Wales. It's cultivated throughout the world and has become the symbol of cancer charities internationally. If ingested, it can be deadly to animals and to people and can result in vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, neurological damage and cardiac arrest.

The bulbs have been mistaken for leeks or onions and have caused issues when consumed.

A school in England mistakenly cooked a daffodil bulb in a soup in 2009 and a number of children fell ill. There is also a hazard for gardeners and flower pickers as contact to the skin can cause dryness, itching and redness.

Answer: White snakeroot

White snakeroot is native to North American and also called richweed or white sanicle. It blooms in the late summer and fall and is pretty flexible and adaptive in terms of where it can grow. It is found in woods, thickets, hedges and weedy areas. If these plants are eaten by cattle, their milk or meat can become toxic with the poison tremetol. Cattle, horses, goats and sheep all find the plant poisonous. If the milk or meat of the poisoned cattle is consumed by humans, humans can become sick with milk sickness.

This can cause tremors, vomiting and severe stomach pain. Milk sickness caused the death of thousands of European settlers who were unfamiliar with white snakeroot and its toxic qualities. It is also likely the cause of death of the mother of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy Hanks Lincoln.

Answer: Oleander

Oleander is a small shrub or tree that is cultivated throughout temperate or subtropical areas of the world because of its ornamental qualities. Its flowers are white, pink or red and bloom year round and the plant is hardy enough to withstand drought or too much water. If ingested, it causes nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and irregular heartbeat. Luckily for humans and animals alike, the plant has a bitter taste making it unappealing. Because of this, poison by ingestion is rare. Prolonged exposure to the sap can also cause eye swelling and skin irritation.

Answer: Tobacco

Tobacco is extremely common and regularly used. There are approximately seventy different types of tobacco plants. Dried tobacco leaves are used in cigarettes, pipes, cigars and chewing tobacco. Tobacco is highly addictive as it contains nicotine and tobacco is linked to many diseases of the lung, heart and liver as well as to many cancers. Tobacco is cultivated throughout the world as an agricultural product. Major producers are China, the United States, Brazil and India.

Answer: Hydrangea

There are approximately seventy to seventy-five species of this pretty flowering plant that is native to Asia and the Americas. The flowers can be white, blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple and the color depends on the presence of aluminum ions in the soil.

The hydrangea plant contains cyanide and is moderately toxic to humans. Because of a rabbit's small size and propensity to eat many different plants, the hydrangea plant can cause problems for them. In particular, it can cause severe gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea.

Answer: Azalea

Azaleas have been cultivated and bred by humans for hundreds of years. This shade tolerant plant has flowers that can last for several weeks. It is highly toxic, containing neurotoxins that can cause nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, coordination issues and a change in consciousness.

They were once so infamously linked to poisoning and death that receiving a bunch of these flowers in a black vase was effectively the same as receiving a death threat. In Turkey, bees are deliberately fed the nectar of these flowers in order to produce a mind-altering and sometimes lethal honey known as 'mad honey.' The leaves of azaleas are also toxic to your dog or cat companions so best to keep them out of the way of this deadly plant.