Toxic Plants

Spurge laurel

Spurge laurel used to be a very popular house plant due to its glossy leaves, and fragrant flowers the Spurge laurel being tolerant of sun and shade makes it easy to take care of, Spurge laurel plant can cause skin rashes, nausea and swelling of the tongue. Spurge laurel is an invasive species, it can rapidly colonize an area, invading and taking over roadsides. Daphne is originally from Britain, Spurge laurel reproduces by seed. To remove Spurge laurel from your property gloves must be worn to protect your hands from the caustic sap, pulling the plant from the root is effective against small infestations, Shurbs that are large must be dug out

Devil's club

Devil's club or devil's walking stick, This plant usually grows in moist forests and is usually in old-growth forests, the stem and leaves are covered with spikes that are around 2 centimetres long, and only the roots and shoots on the devils club are edible. The red berries that grow on the plant are slightly poisonous, symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Overdoses of berries are rare due to their bitter taste. The stems have historically been used to create face paint and deodorant. for some tribes, the devil's Club was used as a talisman to ward off evil. It is a member of the ginseng family.

Foxgloves

Foxgloves vary in colour from shades of purple, pink and white. There are chemicals in foxglove that are utilized to make a drug called digoxin,  digoxin is used to control heart problems. Although there are uses for foxglove in the medical field it is highly toxic for animals and humans if eaten, therefore the plant has earned a lot of ominous names like ‘dead man's bells ‘, “witches’ thimbles and ‘witch’s gloves’. If ingested it can cause pain, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and yellow vision. Depending on the toxicosis's severity, the victim may suffer additional damage. Drying does not reduce the toxicity of the plant, it is an invasive species it was introduced to Canada from Europe.

Cirsium arvense

The Cirsium arvense is native to Europe and Asia and was widely introduced to other countries. The plant is highly beneficial to pollinators that rely on nectar, the plant has been given many names like Canadian thistle, field thistle, stinger needles and many more names. There are six varieties of this plant listed, This plant is considered a weed even where it is native, this plant is also considered a highly invasive species in Canada, Ireland, the US and other countries .Unlike the other species of this plant the roots of the Cirsium arvense are edible ,but not eaten because of its likelihood to induce flatulence in some people.