 | They’re beautiful. They’re easy to grow. You can start them simply by sprinkling their seeds into prepared soil. By the following summer many perennials will be blooming their socks off. The annuals will give you a brilliant display the very first year. It’s a breathtaking sight, but they can also kill. If you have small children and pets, you must be very careful with the following poisonous plants:
- Delphinium (Ranunculaceae): This beautiful plant is very poisonous. If the leaves flowers or seeds are eaten or chewed upon, it is toxic, especially for children and pets. The seeds need to be fresh, each year, and it requires a period of cool temperatures to germinate. Sow indoors about 12 weeks before last frost and place in a cool place where temperatures will be below 60° F. (15° C). It will flower the first year. For safety sake, plant delphinium at the back of your property or outside your fence. Keep dogs, cats, and children away. Delphinium is lovely from a distance, as it grows 4-5 feet tall. Some cultivars will reseed. The ‘New Zealand Hybrids” have exceptional resistance to black spot and powdery mildew. Zone: 4-7. Plant in full sun.
- Larkspur (Ranunculaceae): This annual Delphinium is a lovely hardy annual, which reseeds profusely in the wild flower garden. It is also very poisonous. Keep away from children and pets. This is a very easy to grow plant, which loves the sun, and it grows so tall, that it can make your meadow come alive with color. A hardy annual which can be seeded in place.
- Foxglove (Scrophulariaceae Digitalis): These breathtaking tall, blooming plants are very easy to grow. They are considered a biennial, growing quickly from seed and blooming the following year. All parts are poisonous. Some newer cultivars, if started indoors in February, should bloom by the end of July or August. They prefer moist, rich soil, and if treated right, will bloom profusely the following summer. Plant this Foxglove in areas of your yard that are not accessible to children or pets. Reseeds profusely. Zone: 4-9. Partial shade.
- Lupin (Fabaceae): Take a drive through eastern Texas in “Bluebonnet” season, and you will be stunned by the incredible beauty of acres upon acres of the wild Texas Lupine. These beautiful flowering plants in a variety of colors also grow easily in any good garden soil. Most cultivars grow 3 to 4 feet high and are simply breathtaking in a wild flower meadow. However, all parts of this plant are toxic, if eaten. Keep these plants away from areas of your yard that are frequented by small children and pets. They re-seed profusely, and properly placed will keep you smiling year after year. Zone: 5-8. Full sun.
- Perennial Poppy (Papaver): These Oriental poppies are incredibly easy to grow. Most cultivars reach heights of 2 to 3 feet. Sprinkle the seeds one year, and they will increase and bloom year after year. Plant where you want it to grow forever, since it is very prolific, and if it is in the wrong spot you’ll never get rid of it. Keep away from children and pets, as it is very toxic if eaten. Zone: 4-9. Full Sun.
- Columbine (Aquilegia): These lovely cottage garden flowers are perhaps the most prolific, re-seeders around when grown in ideal conditions. Exquisite in your partially shaded woodland garden, their flowers and foliage come in an endless variety of colors and shades. They are also very poisonous if eaten. Seeds often need pre-chilling to be successful, and certain cultivars grow in a variety of heights, from 6 inches high to over 3 feet. Zone: 3-8. Partial shade.
- The Christmas Rose (Helleborus): This incredible winter blooming perennial is as poisonous as they come; yet it is breathtakingly beautiful. Just as winter seems to be choking the life out of us, Helleborus blooms, peeking through the snow. It comes in a stunning array of colors, and in the right soil, it will re-seed. All cultivars are beautiful in the woodland garden, since deer find it unpalatable. However, this plant must be kept away from children and pets. While not all Helleborus are hardy, most are hardy to zone 6, and some, like ‘Niger’ and ‘Orientalis’ are hardy to zone 4. Zone: 4-9. Partial shade to sun.
- Morning Glory (Ipomoea): These half-hardy twining climbers are beautiful climbing a trellis, a fence, or simply tumbling on the ground. Every summer morning, without fail, these profuse bloomers, greet the morning sun with a brilliant display of trumpet shaped flowers, that last a single day. However, morning glories are also very toxic. It is imperative to keep these plants away from children and pets. They look beautiful away from the house and the child friendly garden. They will not stop blooming until that first heavy frost. Plant with care, as most cultivars can be invasive. Plant seeds every year after all danger of frost is past. Annual.
- Sweet Pea (Lathyrus): One of the most prolific bloomers, often sweetly scented, the Sweet Pea or Everlasting Pea is very toxic. Keep away from children and pets. Sweet Pea can be grown on a trellis, bean tower, or an arbor. Start seeds indoors 5-8 weeks before last spring frost, and transplant to the outdoors in a site that is protected from the afternoon sun. The Everlasting Pea loves cooler temperatures, and when the weather turns hot, the perennial plants will go dormant. The hardy annual varieties will stop blooming and re-seed. Take reasonable care to protect your children and pets, and this lovely cultivar will give you years of scented pleasure. Perennials, Zone: 5-9. Annual: hardy.
- Castor Bean (Ricinus communis): This is a poisonous plant which is deadly to humans and pets. The deadly poison “ricin” comes from this plant. It takes very little ingestion to produce a long, agonizing death. One seed can kill a child. I don’t know why any gardener would grow this plant. While the plant is impressive, growing tall with tropical leaves that turn a breathtaking burgundy, there are other safer plants that can be grown instead. Most reputable plant nurseries no longer sell Castor Bean.
While beauty is the goal of every gardener, these ten plants must be considered wisely. Is it worth the life of your child, grandchild, or even a child that unknowingly slips through your yard? There are many lovely blooming plants of every size and description that are worth the effort and will not harm children or pets. So when you garden, research thoroughly, and garden with care.
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