POISONOUS PLANTS - really dangerous or simply irritants?
Quite a few of the plants mentioned on this website are toxic, actually poisonous to humans and / or to animals, including pets. While some, such as nettles index.asp?pageid=731574 and their stings, are fairly easy to avoid or treat if accidently affected, others may need more specific remedy. It is far better to take the right precautions and avoid any troubles.
Some, like bluebells, are poisonous. Just don't eat them or let your lets and livestock eat them either. index.asp?pageid=731665
Even when their reputations are well recognised, they may appear in your local garden centre or along that country walk, for example, foxglove. Some, such as the giant hogweed, are invaders. Hogweed can be thought of as hogwots. You are sure to have heard of that. (Actually the problematic giant hogweed come from Aisa. Hogworts is an annual silvery green weed (Croton capitatus) of the southeastern United States. Also called woolly croton). The local hogweed is discussed here : index.asp?pageid=732593 as is foxglove index.asp?pageid=731580 As for mushrooms - well we simply don't cover them here as the differentiation between tasty and deadly is beyond our expertise. .
There is no need to panic or even avoid - simply know when to handle them and how. Some have hardly any affect on us and even be a boon to insects, but toxic to livestock. An example is ragwort index.asp?pageid=732788.
The Bushcraft Buddy and Woodland Trust websites give a very comprehensive list. Here are the 5 most poisonous plants in the UK.
1) Deathcap – Amanita Phalliodes This is by far the most poisonous mushroom in the world, and contains a toxin of which there is no known cure. ...
2) Aconitum – Aconitum napellus ...
3) Destroying angel – Amanita virosa ...
4) Hemlock. See subtab index.asp?pageid=732832
5) Deadly Nightshade – Atropa belladonna .
6) Monk's Hood - index.asp?pageid=733975
** Note that Woody Nightshade / Bittersweet is also of the "nightshade" family. It too is poisonous, but a little less so than its related Deradly Nightshade species. See index.asp?pageid=732976
On the other end of the spectrum are those that are simply irritants, or become safe when cooked. While use as food or traditional treatments are noted, no recipes are given on this website, but links to those with safe and proven preparation are. Nettles, rhubarb, green potatoes etc all get neutralised through cooking. Just don't take risks.
Juicy black bramble berries are great to eat, but they may be growing in amongst berries of other kinds that may look attractive but which should not be touched. Here we find a bramble berry nearby nightshade berries and surrounded by a tangle of their own foliage as well as bindweed, grasses etc.
WOODLAND TRUST : https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/07/uk-poisonous-plants/ & https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2022/06/giant-hogweed-facts/
