Poisonous Perennials

When you are gardening perennial plants, you should try to keep in mind the safety of the plant species in your garden. If you have young children, or pets, special care should be taken. You should be committed to learning what plants you have growing in your garden that have poisonous parts to them, teaching children about the dangers of plants and eating them, and keeping poisonous plants, seeds and bulbs out the reach of pets and small children.

To help perennial gardeners with this responsibility, I thought I would compile a list of some of the more common poisonous perennials you might already have growing in your garden. This is not a comprehensive list! There are many more dangerous plants, including perennials, that can pose a threat. Do your research when selecting a perennial plant, and make sure you know what you are planting.

Here are a few perennials that are either all or partially poisonous:

Bleeding Heart - all parts are poisonous
Buttercup - all parts are poisonous
Clematis - all parts are poisonous
Columbine - all parts are poisonous
Ferns (some species) - all parts are poisonous
Hyacinths - all parts are poisonous
Iris - all parts are poisonous
Lupine - seeds are poisonous
Narcissus - juice is poisonous
Tansy - all parts are poisonous
Wolfbane - all parts are poisonous