Plants serve us in many ways—they beautify the environment, purify the air, release oxygen, and yield fruit for the table. Yet, you can find poisonous plants everywhere.

Oleander, for example, is a flower whose delicate beauty makes it a popular ornamental plant, especially in warmer climates (see main image). Yet ingesting a single leaf can be enough to kill a child. Urban legend even has it that a troop of boy scouts died after using oleander branches to roast marshmallows.

When you're planning your own garden, you have a responsibility to select your plants wisely, and consider the toxins that could cause anything from skin irritations to death.

Here are the four different kinds of reactions that poisonous plants can cause:

Ingesting very toxic plants can cause serious injury or death.

Ingesting less toxic plants can cause vomiting or diarrhea.

Some plants exude juice or sap containing oxalates. Oxalates are needle-shaped crystals that can irritate your skin, mouth, tongue, and throat. The result can be swelling, burning pain, breathing difficulties, and upset stomach.

Some plants have juice, sap, or thorns that can cause skin rash or irritation. Some rashes itch. Others can be very painful.

Some Common Poisonous Plants

The table below lists some common plants that are toxic to humans. The center column shows which part of the plant is dangerous, and the third column indicates the usual reaction from the list of the 4 possible reactions listed earlier.

The seeds or pits of the following fruits can cause vomiting or diarrhea:

• Almond
• Apple
• Apricot
• Black cherry
• Cherry
• Crabapple
• Loquat
• Nectarine
• Peach
• Pear
• Plum

Plants That Are Poisonous to Pets

Pets are prone to chew on anything nearby. It’s important to protect them by removing toxic plants from the house and yard. The following are a few common plants that are dangerous to pets.

Dogs: Onion, garlic, heavenly bamboo, schefflera, and dracaena

Cats: Calla easter lily, philodendron, pothos, and scindapus

Birds: Avocado

How to Protect Children and Pets

By following these ten basic steps, you can help protect your children and pets from being harmed by toxic plants.

Know the names of your poisonous plants.

Show babysitters and grandparents where to find the list of plant names.

Keep dangerous plants out of reach of pets and children.

Teach children never to touch or eat plant parts.

Teach children that sucking nectar from flowers is unsafe.

Never let children suck on jewelry made from decorative beans or seeds.

Store labeled bulbs and seeds safely out of the reach of children and pets.

Never collect wild herbs to eat or brew as tea, unless you are trained to identify them properly.

Don’t burn dangerous plants. Smoke from burning poisonous plants can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. This is especially true of poison oak and ivy.

Don’t include a poisonous plant in your garden the first place.

What to Do in an Emergency

If you, or someone you know, has eaten a poisonous plant, here are five things to remember:

Remove any plant parts from the mouth.

If the victim is choking and can’t breathe, dial 911. Otherwise, call the Poison Control Center.

Describe the plant over the phone, including the following: What part of the plant was eaten? What kind of fruit was eaten? Berries? Nuts? Can you describe the fruit in detail—color, firmness, juiciness, and so forth? Can you describe the plant? Where is the plant growing? Can you describe the size, shape, and arrangement of the leaves?

If you are told to go to an emergency room for treatment, take the plant or a portion of the plant with you. Take more than a single leaf or berry.

If you must go to a nursery to identify the plant, go quickly, but don’t panic. Plants are digested slowly.

Remember, it’s best to gain a little knowledge and be safe—and move that poinsettia out of Junior’s reach.

[main image: Hemera | Thinkstock]