Summer Plants

These seasonal plants pose the most severe hazard to your health if consumed in certain quantities:

• Larkspur—A garden staple, these cheerful perennials can cause adverse neurological and cardiac effects.   
• Foxglove—Beloved for its bell-shaped flowers, these tall plants can slow your heart rate and cause confusion.   
• Cotoneaster—A popular groundcover, the seeds and berries break down into cyanide when consumed.

Other plants are only harmful if consumed in large quantities:

• Allium—Also known as wild onion or garlic, large amounts of this bulbous plant can upset your stomach.   
• Tomato and Potato—If consumed before proper ripeness, these plants can lead to nausea and vomiting, as can the leaves (regardless of ripeness).   
• Pokeweed—The berries on this shrub resembles blueberries, but consuming too much can cause significant gastrointestinal problems.   
• Black-eyed Susans—This common prairie plant can irritate the skin upon contact.

IPC suggests admiring all plants from afar if you aren’t sure of a plant’s identity.