Have you ever been out on a hike and come across a plant covered in beautiful flowers and felt the urge to pick a few? Well, unless you really know your flowers, you may want to consider taking a photograph instead. The reality is that some flowers and other parts of the plant can be extremely toxic and poisonous to humans and animals. The following are some of the most beautiful but dangerous, even deadliest flowers in the world. Here’s what experts at your local flower shop in San Francisco, CA want you to know:
- Angel’s Trumpet: Angel’s Trumpet—a heavenly name for such a lovely little flower. But this plant is not as innocent as its name leads us to believe. The fact is that all parts of this plant—the stem, leaves, flowers and roots—are poisonous when ingested, causing symptoms like confusion, diarrhea, intense hallucinations, paralysis and even death. It’s been reported that the auditory and visual hallucinations are incredibly unpleasant and violent.
- Bleeding Heart: Because of its uniquely adorable heart-shaped flowers with dangling tips, the Bleeding Heart plant is grown in many parts of the world for ornamental purposes. The “hearts” are pink in color, and though their texture appears smooth and you’ll be tempted to inspect them, don’t touch them! Bleeding Hearts are known to cause varying degrees of skin irritations, and they’re poisonous when ingested.
- Lily of the Valley: Because these sweet scented white flowers look like little dainty wedding bells promoting love, you might not think they’re dangerous, but they are, in fact, a highly poisonous flowering plant. As a defense against animals, all parts of this plant are poisonous—the stems, leaves, berries and flowers. They are poisonous to people, too. Consuming this plant in large quantities can cause severe stomachaches, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
- Chinese Lantern: Looking like little paper lanterns hanging from pretty stems, it’s no wonder many gardeners decide to grow the Chinese Lantern flower and florists offer them in flower arrangements. These flowers are also a popular home decoration when dried. They are almost mesmerizing to look at. Furthermore, when used correctly by a professional, it can be used medically as an anti-inflammatory, cough suppressant, expectorant and fever reducer. The one downside it has, though, is that the unripe berries are poisonous.
- Daphne: The Daphne plant is a type of shrub that produces a pleasant scented flower—actually many small flowers clustered together to look like one big flower or bunch—but this plant is powerful enough to poison and kill. Eating its berries can send you into a coma or cause sudden death, while ingesting any other parts besides the berries can result in symptoms like agonizing headaches and convulsions.
Many flowers are not dangerous, but some in the world are. To avoid accidentally poisoning someone you care about with toxic flowers, be sure to order your flowers from a reputable flower shop in San Francisco, CA. Call The Delicate Daisy – House of Flowers anytime to order beautiful flower arrangements or bouquets for any occasion!