When they sense danger, some plants emit various types of chemicals which keep them safe.
Plants are also living things and like humans and animals, they have also got defense mechanisms to protect themselves from herbivorous animals. There are spines inside some plants which keep them safe to an extent. Sometimes, when they sense danger, some plants emit various types of chemicals which keep them safe and keep plant-eating animals at bay. Most of these chemicals are harmless to humans, but there are some plants whose chemicals can be poisonous to humans. Here we have listed the names of six such plants which are deadliest to humans and it’s better to keep yourself away from these plants.
Rhododendron is a plant where flowers of various colors like pink, violet, red, yellow, and white bloom during the spring season but don’t get attracted by its beauty as it contains toxic chemicals like andromedotoxin, grayanotoxin, and rhodotoxin which are poisonous for both animals and humans. When herbivorous animals eat this particular plant, they start vomiting, their heart rate becomes slow, and makes them exhausted. In many cases animals die also after consuming the leaves of this plant. If any human consumes this plant by accident, it can make them weak and many times breathing becomes difficult with the loss of balance. It’s better to avoid contact with this plant.
Jimson Weed can make someone hallucinate and alter the state of mind as it’s a powerful hallucinogen plant and it also contains poison which is concentrated mostly in its leaves and seeds. The color of this plant is cream or violet and it mostly blooms during the summer season. Because of its poisonous elements, it’s also called devil’s weed, hell’s bell, and devil’s trumpet. A small amount of this plant is used to cure some diseases and many tribes there like the Algonquian, Aztecs, Navajo, Cherokee, Luiseño and the indigenous peoples of Marie-Galante use it for spiritual and occult practices. In India, its variant is known as ‘datura’ and it’s used by many specially sadhus for occult practices but it’s taken in moderation as its overdose affects the nervous system, eyes, ears, and mouth of the human body which can result in death also.
When this plant blooms with fragrant flowers, it looks very beautiful and that’s why it got the name Angel’s Trumpets. The color of the flowers varies from white, yellow, orange, and red. It leaves a very strong fragrance but beneath its beauty lies poison as its leaves and seeds contain highly toxic chemicals and consuming it can cause nausea, diarrhea, paralysis, and hallucinations and an overdose can lead to death. It’s better to appreciate its beauty from far away.
