search
the site

 
forums chat room contact us calendar fundraising hall of fame links weather site map
poisonous
plants		 irritant
plants		 wildlife
friends		 wildlife
foes		 plant
diseases		 plant
names		 leaf
shapes		 know
your soil		 members
map
 

Irritant Plants

We've done a lot of work to make the information here as accurate as we can, but if you find anything wrong or missing, please email us.

Please remember that everyone is different and some people are allergic to plants that may not be listed here. When seeking medical assistance as a result of a reaction always take a sample of the plant with you.
 

Names marked with an asterisk* mean that the plant's dangerous - possibly fatal in some cases. 

 

Plants are listed in alphabetical order of botanical name. If you want to find one by its common name, press Ctrl-F and you'll get a box that lets you search the page.

Click on any picture to see it full size.
  
  
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 
 

 

Botanical name Common name

(Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
Acalypha

Chenille plant
Copperleaf
Three-seeded Mercury

 (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Aconitum

Aconite
Monkshood
Wolfsbane
Leopard's bane
Women's bane
Devil's helmet
Blue rocket

 skin
 
 
Actaea

Baneberry
Bugbane
Black snakeroot

 skin
 
 
Aglaonema Chinese evergreen (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Allamanda

Yellow bell
Golden trumpet
Buttercup flower

 (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Alocasia Taro (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Alstroemeria

Peruvian lily
Lily of the Incas

 (all parts) skin & eyes*
 
 

Anabaena circinalis
Anacystis cynea

 Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) skin
 
 
Anthurium

Flamingo flower
Boy flower

 skin & eyes
 
 
Arisaema

Cobra-lily
Jack-in-the-pulpit

 (rhizome) skin & eyes
 
 
Arum

Cuckoo-pint
Lords-and-ladies
Jack-in-the-pulpit

 skin & eyes
 
 

Asparagus
(except officinalis)

Asparagus fern
Florist's fern
Lace fern

 (sap) skin
 
 
Atropa belladonna

Belladonna
Deadly nightshade

 skin

 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Caladium

Angel’s wings
Elephant ear
Heart of Jesus

 (sap) skin
 
 
Calla palustris

Water arum
Bog arum
Marsh calla

 skin & eyes
 
 
Capsicum annuum Ornamental pepper skin & eyes
 
 
Chelidonium majus Greater celandine (sap) skin & eyes
 
 

Chrysanthemum X morifolium
syn. Dendranthema X grandiflorum

Chrysanthemum
Mum
Chrysanth

 skin
 
 
Colocasia esculenta

Taro
Dasheen
Arrowroot
Elephant ear

 (sap) skin

 
 
Cupressocyparis leylandii

Leyland cypress
Leylandii

 (sap) skin

 

Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Daphne mezereum

Daphne
Spurge laurel
Mezereon

 skin

 
 
Datura

Nightshade
Thorn-apple

 skin

 
 
Datura stramonium

Datura
Jimson weed
Angel's trumpet
Devil's weed
Thorn-apple
Stinkweed
Jamestown weed
Moonflower
Tolguacha

 skin

 
 

Dendrocnide -
D. moroides

Stinging nettle
Stinging tree
Gympie gympie

 skin*
 
 
Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches skin (allergen)

 
 
Dictamnus

Burning bush
False dittany
White dittany
Gas plant

 skin (with sunlight)
 
 
Dieffenbachia

Dumb cane
Leopard lily

 (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Dracunculus

Dragon arum
Black arum
Voodoo lily
Snake lily
Stink lily
Black dragon
Dragonwort
Ragons
Drakondia

 skin & eyes
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Echium

Viper's bugloss
Patterson's curse
Tower of jewels

 skin

 
 
Epipremnum

Devil’s ivy
Pothos
Silver vine
Money plant
Centipede tongavine
Solomon islands' ivy
Philodendron (error)

 skin & eyes
 
 

Euphorbia
(including E. pulcherrima)

Spurge
(including Poinsettia)

 (sap) skin & eyes*

  
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Ficus benjamina

Weeping fig
Benjamin's fig

 (sap) skin
 
 
Ficus carica

Fig
Common fig

 (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Fremontodendron

Flannelbush
Flannel bush

 skin & eyes
 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 

Grevillea
(some species, especially 'Robyn Gordon' and Robusta)

Grevillea
Silky oak
Silver oak
Spider flower
Toothbrush

 (leaves, flowers, sawdust from wood) skin* (allergen)

 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Hedera Ivy skin* (allergen)
 
 
Helleborus niger

Christmas rose
Black hellebore

 skin
 
 
Helleborus orientalis

Lenten rose
Lenten hellebore
Oriental hellebore

 skin
 
 
Heracleum mantegazzianum

Giant hogweed
Giant cow parsley

 skin* (in sunlight)

 
 
Hippomane mancinella

Manchineel
Manchioneel

 skin* eyes* (from smoke)
 
 
Hyacinthus Hyacinth skin, respiratory tract (allergen)
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Iris

Iris
Flag Iris

skin

 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
  
Ligustrum Privet (pollen) skin, respiratory tract
 
 

Lobelia
except L. erinus

Lobelia
Asthma Weed
Indian Tobacco
Pukeweed
Vomitwort

skin & eyes
 
 
Lysichiton Skunk cabbage skin & eyes (allergen)
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Mirabilis

Marvel of Peru
Four o’clock plant

skin

 
 
Monstera deliciosa

Swiss cheese plant
Cheese plant
Ceriman
Fruit salad plant
Monster fruit
Monsterio delicio
Monstereo
Mexican breadfruit
Monstera

skin & eyes

 
 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Narcissus Daffodil (sap) skin
 
 
Nerium oleander Oleander (sap) skin & eyes
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Opuntia microdasys

Bunny ears cactus
Bunny cactus
Polka-dot cactus

 (surface) skin
 
 
Ornithogalum

Chincherinchee
Star of Bethlehem
Sun star
Pregnant onion
False sea onion
Snake flower
Bath asparagus
Prussian asparagus

 skin
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Parietaria judaica

Spreading pellitory
Stick weed
Sticky-weed
Asthma weed

 (pollen) respiratory system (allergen)
 
 
Parthenocissus

Virginia creeper
Japanese creeper
Boston ivy
Sevenleaf creeper
Thicket creeper
Woodbine
Grape woodbine

(sap) irritant
 
 
Philodendron (sap) skin & eyes
 
 
Phytolacca

Pokeweed
American nightshade
Cancer jalap
Coakum
Garget
Inkberry
Pigeon berry
Pocan bush
Redweed

(sap) skin (allergen)
 
 
Polyscias Aralia skin
 
 
Primula obconica

German primula
Poison primrose

 skin (allergen)
 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Ranunculus

Buttercup
Spearwort
Water crowfoot
Lesser celandine

skin (allergen)
 
 

Rhamnus
including Frangula

Alder buckthorn
Buckthorn

skin

 
 
Rhus lancea

African sumach
Karee

 (sap) skin*; smoke from burning*
 
 
Ruta Rue skin* (in sunlight)
 
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
 Schefflera Umbrella tree (sap) skin
 
 
Spathiphyllum

Peace lily
Spath lily

 skin & eyes
 
 
Syngonium

Arrowhead plant
Arrowhead vine
Goosefoot vine
Arrowhead philodendron
Goosefoot
Trileaf wonder
African evergreen

 skin & eyes
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 

Toxicodendron diversilobum
syn. Rhus diversiloba

Western poison-oak
Pacific poison-oak

 skin* (allergen)
 
 

Toxicodendron pubescens
syn. Rhus toxicarium

 Atlantic poison-oak skin* (allergen)

 
 

Toxicodendron radicans
syn. Rhus radicans
syn. Rhus toxicodendron

Poison-ivy

skin*
respiratory tract from smoke when burning*(allergen)

 
 

Toxicodendron rydbergii
syn. Rhus rydbergii

Western poison-ivy skin* (allergen)
 
 

Toxicodendron striatum
syn. Rhus striata

Manzanillo skin* (allergen) No image available
  
  
Toxicodendron succedaneum
syn. Rhus succedanea

Wax tree
wax-leaved privet

skin* (allergen)
 
 

Toxicodendron vernicifluum
syn. Rhus verniciflua

Japanese lacquer tree
Japanese sumach

sap

 
 

Toxicodendron vernix
syn. Rhus vernix

 Poison sumach

skin*
respiratory tract from smoke when burning*
(allergen)

 
 
Tulipa Tulip skin
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Urtica Nettle (hairs) skin

 
 
Urtica ferox

Ongaonga
Tree nettle

(hairs) skin*
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Vitex

Vitex
Chaste tree
Chasteberry
Monk's pepper

skin
 
Return to index
 
 
Botanical name Common name (Part/s) irritant to

Illustration
_____________ _____________ _______________

__________
 
 
Zantedeschia

Arum lily
Calla lily

skin & eyes

 

Thank you to:

Jeffrey Pippen - http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/nature.htm - for allowing us to use his images of toxicodendron radicans, toxicodendron vernix and toxicodendron pubescens

Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page  - and Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page - for use of their images.

If we’ve inadvertently used your picture without permission please contact us and we will either remove it or credit it accordingly.

 

Copyright © Eve Pavitt 2010