A child weaned on poison considers harm a comfort.

Gillian Flynn

It’s difficult to draw a line between good and bad. One person’s poison is another one’s nectar. A warm woolen blanket is very good in the winter, but you don’t even touch it in the summer. It depends upon how you approach a situation. Truly speaking, there is neither good nor bad in the world outside. Everything is neutral. Take cobra poison, for example. The moment we hear the name ‘poison’ we are frightened. We say, ‘It’s terrible, it’s bad.’ But there are certain medicines made out of that poison. Poison is not poison, but becomes nectar if you know how to administer it. But if you don’t know how to manage it, even nectar will become poison. There’s nothing good or bad outside. It all depends upon our approach.

Sri Swami Satchidananda

New Metal-Eating Shrub Species Could Clean Up Toxic Waste Sites Around the World

A newly described shrub species called Rinorea niccolifera is capable of consuming between 100 to
1000 times the amount of nickel that normal plants can. A team from the
University of the Philippines-Los Baños that described the species in a
new report also found that its ability to ‘eat’ toxic levels of metal could make the shrub a potential antidote to toxic waste sites around the globe.

The plant has evolved to draw up nutrients and water from the soil like normal
plants, but is also able to absorb poisonous nutrients that would kill
most. Known as hyperaccumulators, these plants are able to eat poisonous metals,

Poisonous Herbs + Plants

I saw a post with a list of poisonous herbs already, but I thought I’d add to it since there are several more dangerous plants that are commonly used. First post can be found here. Check it out for additional herbs.

Arnica: Should not be taken internally as it is potentially toxic, but it provides one of the best remedies for external local healing of bruises and strains.
Bleeding Heart: May be poisonous in large amounts. Has proved fatal to cattle.
Buttercup: Irritant juices may severely injure the digestive system.
Daphne: Fatal. A few berries can kill a child.
Elderberry: Children have been poisoned by using pieces of the pithy stems for blowguns. Nausea and digestive upset.
Elephant Ear: All parts. Intense burning and irritation of the mouth and tongue. Death can occur if base of the tongue swells enough to block the air passage of the throat.
Golden Chain: Severe poisoning. Excitement, staggering, convulsions and coma. May be fatal.
Hyacinth: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. May be fatal.
Iris: Severe digestive upset.
Jasmine: Berries. Fatal. Digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.
Larkspur: Digestive upset, nervous excitement, depression. May be fatal.
Lily of the Valley: Irregular heartbeat and pulse, usually accompanied by digestive upset and mental confusion.
Monkshood: Digestive upset and nervous excitement.
Moonseed: Berries. Blue, purple color, resembling wild grapes. May be fatal.
Nightshade: Fatal. Intense digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.
Oak: Acorns. Affects kidneys gradually. Symptoms appear only after several days or weeks. Takes a large amount for poisoning.
Oleander: Leaves, branches. Extremely poisonous. Affects the heart, produces severe digestive upset and has caused death.
Rhubarb: Fatal. Large amounts of raw or cooked leaves can cause convulsions, coma, followed rapidly by death.
Rosary Pea: Fatal. A single Rosary Pea seed has caused death. One or two Castor Bean seeds are near the lethal dose for adults.
Wisteria: Mild to severe digestive upset. Many children are poisoned by this plant.

Poisonous Herbs + Plants

The Alnwick Poison Garden
Inspired by the legendary botanical gardens in Padua where the Medicis plotted the untimely, frothing ends of their enemies, an English duchess created this garden, dedicating it entirely to flora which are deadly and/or narcotic.

Behind big black gates, the carefully curated garden contains about 100 legendary killers like Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade), Strychnos nux-vomica (strychnine), and Conium maculatum (hemlock). Guides explain their deadly properties while keeping ne’er-do-wells and curious children away from the plants, warning them: “Do not touch any of the plants, don’t even smell them. There are plants here that can kill you.” Foxgloves, belladonna, poppies, laburnam and varieties of aquilegia thrive among the rarefied atmosphere of the Poison Garden. Those who work here treat the plants with the utmost respect, wearing gloves when working with them.

Many of the plants are already well-known for their medicinal properties, but as its creator, the Duchess of Northumberland said:
‘I wondered why so many gardens around the world focused on the healing power of plants rather than their ability to kill… I felt that most children I knew would be more interested in hearing how a plant killed, how long it would take you to die if you ate it and how gruesome and painful the death might be.’