Top 10 Most Poisonous and Deadliest Plants in the World

Manchineel, one of the most poisonous plants in the world (Image: Flickr)

World Ranking - Like other living things, plants also have a special way to protect themselves from predators. Plants have no way to escape because they simply cannot move. But they have another way to protect themselves from herbivores that will prey on them. This physical defense can be in the form of sharp thorns on their bodies, some are in the form of chemicals or deadly poisons.

After going through a process of natural selection that lasted for more than thousands of years, some plants were finally able to evolve to produce a great defense system. In general they produce chemical compounds to prevent predators who will eat them. An example is the tannin and polyacetilenes compounds which are highly disliked by herbivores and insects.

In addition, some plants are also able to produce defense compounds that can have negative effects such as mild illness to death for predators, both herbivores, insects, and humans. Even among these plants the toxic effects can be very dangerous even if only by touching it, exposed to droplets of water that pass through it, and exposed to smoke exposure when burning it. Here are top 10 the most poisonous and deadly plants in the world:

10. Nerium Oleander

Image: Pixabay

Nerium Oleander has another name as nerium, or oleander, is a shrub or small tree that is very poisonous in all parts of its body. Nerium come from northern Africa, eastern Mediterranean, and also Southeast Asia. This plant blooms throughout the year and grows well in warm arid climates and can be cultivated in various regions. Nerium are also one of the most poisonous garden plants that most commonly grown. Usually these plants become ornamental plants that are planted in the parks and on the roadside. Height of about 2-6 meters, and usually emits a sweet-smelling but has a very bitter taste. Some compounds contained in it such as Oleandrin and Oleandrigenin compounds can show toxicity to animals and humans who eat them. The poison has a cardiac glycoside effect that can cause glycoside poisoning. The effects affect the performance of the digestive system, heart and central nervous system with symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, excessive salivation, diarrhea that may contain blood, irregular heart palpitations, trembling, convulsions, collapse, coma, until death.

9. Monkshood (Aconitum)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Monkshood is also known as aconitum, aconite, wolf's bane, leopard's bane, women's bane, devil's helmet, queen of poisons, or blue rocket. Monkshood is a perennial plant that is commonly found in the mountainous parts of the northern hemisphere and can grow well in cold and humid climates by mountain fog. This plant is in the form of shrubs or grasses that can live up to more than two years by storing lots of water and absorbing soil in the mountain meadows. The end of the crown has a strong poison which, if touched, can cause numbness and tenderness. But the very poisonous part is mainly in the roots and tubers. Symptoms that arise due to the effects of the poison can be nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, burning sensation in the stomach, tingling, numbness in the mouth and face area. And for severe cases of poisoning can be dizziness, headaches, confusion, heart paralysis, to respiratory failure that can cause death.

8. Water Hemlock (Cicuta Maculata)

Image: Flickr

Water Hemlock has several common names such as spotted parsley, spotted cowbane, and suicidal roots. This plant originates from the northern hemisphere, especially in northern America, from North Canada to South Mexico and Europe. Its inflorescences are white and look similar to other species of the carrot family. This plant contains a powerful poison compound named Cicutoxin in the flowers, stems and roots. But most of the poisons are concentrated at the root. Water Hemlock is also considered the most poisonous plant in North America. This plant is very dangerous if swallowed, because it can cause seizures that hurt so that it can lead to death. Many livestock die from consuming this plant, and death occurs in just 15 minutes. Swallowing any amount of Water Hemlock for humans can be fatal and cause permanent damage to the central nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning that occur such as nausea and vomiting, body shaking uncontrollably, followed by severe cramps, convulsions, and in severe cases can cause death.

7. Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) 

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Deadly Nightshade has several other names such as Belladonna, Nightshade, devil's berry, cherry of death, and devil's potion. This is a plant from the Solanaceae Nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. This plant can be found in Europe, northern Africa, West Asia, and also in parts of the American continent such as in parts of Canada and the United States. Belladonna can grow up to 2 meters high, the berries are green when they are raw, and turn black when they are ripe. All parts of this plant, starting from the roots, leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, until the seeds contain poisonous compounds, Tropane Alkaloids. However, the highest levels of toxins are at the roots, and the alkaloid content is maximized when plants sprout and flower. The berry has a sweet taste but is very dangerous if consumed. Symptoms of poisoning that occur after consuming this plant such as blurred vision, dilated pupils, loss of balance, headaches, rashes, dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, paralysis, and convulsions. Symptoms of death in severe cases of poisoning can occur due to parasympathetic nervous system disorders such as difficulty breathing and heart failure.

6. White Snakeroot (Ageratina Altissima)

Image: Flickr

White Snakeroot (Ageratina Altissima) is also known as richweed, or white sanicle. This plant originates from eastern and central North America. This is a plant that is very poisonous and deadly to anyone who consumes it. White Snakeroot can grow up to as high as 1.5 meters, and they are usually found in forests and bushes. The flowers are pure white that blooms every mid to late summer or autumn. This flower contains tremetol toxin and is usually consumed by livestock, such as dairy cows. But if a cow has consumed this flower then the cow will be very dangerous for humans because the meat and milk have been contaminated by this flower poison. That is why tremetol poisoning in humans is commonly referred to as milk disease, because humans often ingest this poison through milk that has been contaminated with snakeroot toxin. Symptoms of poisoning can include nausea and vomiting, trembling, digestive problems that can cause severe illness and serious intestinal problems, leading to death. Thousands of people have been killed by this milk disease. Even milk disease also caused the death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, mother of Abraham Lincoln in 1818.

5. Trumpet Flower (Brugmansia)

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Trumpet Flower (Brugmansia) is also known as the angel's trumpets because of its large flower size and resembles a trumpet. This plant originates from the tropical regions of South America, along the Andes from Venezuela to North Chile, and also Southeast Brazil. They are in the form of small wood trees or large bushes, in general they can grow to a height of 3-11 meters.. The flowers are hanging (pendulous), semi-wooden trunks and branching, not thorny, but have a strong poison. Trumpet flower is usually cultivated as an ornamental plant and is one of the most poisonous ornamental plant species in the world. The flowers are beautiful and fragrant but deadly so care must be taken. All parts of the body contain toxic compounds of scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and tropane alkaloids which are very dangerous. Symptoms of poisoning that occur after consuming this plant include muscle paralysis, confusion, tight heart beat (tachycardia), dry mouth, constipation, body shaking uncontrollably (tremor), migraine headaches, delusions, visual and auditory hallucinations, dilation of pupils, blurred vision , and that it can cause death.

4. Rosary Pea (Abrus Precatorius)

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Rosary Pea (Abrus Precatorius) also known as jequirity beans, are very invasive vines that come from a number of warm to tropical climates. The seeds are orange and black at the edges, usually used as jewelry because of their beautiful shape. However, these seeds contain powerful poisons that are very dangerous so they must be careful in processing them. There have been reports of deaths from poisoning these seeds when processing them into jewelry. These beans contain poison Abrin whose effect is identical to the poison of ricin contained in jatropha, but the symptoms are still slower than ricin. Abrin is a deadly ribosomal inhibiting protein. Only 3 micrograms of Abrin are needed to kill an adult. Symptoms of poisoning after consuming this beans include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, foamy mouth, serious problems in the kidneys and bladder, liver failure, retinal bleeding, deep sores that spread, and death occurs after a few days later.

3. Suicide Tree (Cerbera Odollam)

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The suicide tree (Cerbera Odollam) is also known as the pong-pong tree, mintolla, othalam, blind, bintaro, and several other names depending on the region. The fruit is known as Othalanga which contains powerful poison compounds commonly used for suicide and murder. Therefore this tree is named as a suicide tree. Suicide trees are coastal plants that live in tropical regions in southern and southeastern Asia such as India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and several other tropical countries in Africa such as Madagascar. Cerbera Odollam seeds have a similar taste to spices, so they are often used to carry out killings by mixing them into food. There were recorded more than 500 cases of fatal Odollam poisoning in 1989-1999 in the state of Kerala, southwest India. Toxins contained in it are cerberin, digoxin-type cardenolide, and cardiac glycoside toxin, a powerful compound capable of blocking calcium ion channels in the heart muscle which has the potential to cause heart failure. The poison content in 1 Odollam seed can cause death in just 1-2 days. Common symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, burning sensation in the mouth, headaches, irregular breathing, palpitations, coma, and finally death.

2. Manchineel (Hippomane Mancinella)

Image: Flickr

Manchineel is also known as a small death apple or beach apple, because the shape of the fruit and leaves have similarities to an apple tree but are very poisonous and are usually found on the beach and brackish marshes in the mangroves. This tree originates from the tropics in southern North America to northern South America. Manchineel trees can grow to as high as 15 meters, and all parts of this tree from the leaves, fruit and trunk are very poisonous. The white sap produced by this tree contains phorbol and strong irritant compounds that can cause severe allergic reactions on the skin, and can even damage the paint on the car. Touching this tree, or even if your skin is exposed to a single drop of rain through this tree can cause severe blistering skin. The fruit, if eaten, has a sweet and slightly spicy taste. But after eating it will feel symptoms of poisoning such as burning sensation, tight throat and tearing, feeling of a large pharyngeal lump, extreme pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, which can cause death.

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1. Castor Oil Tree / Jatropha (Ricinus Communis)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Jatropha (Ricinus Communis) is an annual plant that can grow well in subtropical and tropical regions with an ambient temperature range of 18-30 degrees Celsius. This plant has a powerful poison content that is very deadly, and is currently listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most poisonous plant in the world. The main poison compound contained in Jatropha is Risin which is a toxic protein with very high toxicity. Enough with 1 microgram (one per million grams) of ricin poison has been able to kill an adult human. Risin is one of the most dangerous poisons in the world so it belongs to the category of super poison. Risin poison is 6000 times more deadly than cyanide poison, and 12000 times more deadly than rattlesnake poison. Symptoms that arise from ricin poisoning include fever, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, bluish-colored skin, diarrhea, low blood pressure, hallucinations, bloody urine, and death.