Everyone loves to have plants in their home for the several advantages they provide. However, what most people are not aware of is the fact that some common houseplants can be dangerous. We all know that plants offer several health benefits like purifying the air but some plants contain toxic substances that can become hazardous or even life-threatening. So, before you make your home into a botanical garden, make sure you are well versed with the deadly plants. On that note, take a look at the list we have compiled for you consisting of the top 7 poisonous plants in Singapore that you must be aware of.
Belladonna
The plant belladonna has beautiful flowers but the plant in itself is equally dangerous. It is one of the deadliest plants on Earth that can cause hallucinations, loud heartbeats, coma and convulsions within a few hours of consumption. The worst-case scenario is that it can also lead to death amongst pets, kids and adults.
Ficus
The Ficus is a common houseplant that one can easily avail of through online plant delivery. It is known for its beautiful, shiny and thick leaves however its sap can turn out to be quite risky. Children and pets are most vulnerable to the sap of the plant as it is toxic and leads to a rash and stomach aches respectively.
Poison Ivy
In contrast to the name, Poison Ivy is not as poisonous as you might think. It is a vine plant that loves to grow on trees and house walls. It is best to avoid touching the plant with bare hands or ingesting it as it can cause nasty rashes, blisters and itching on the skin for humans and pets.
Elephant Ear
The Elephant Ear, scientifically known as Caladium, is a gorgeous plant with a mix of white, green, pink and red shades dominating the leaves. This plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause internal injuries if chewed. So, kids and pets have to be kept at a distance from this plant as it can lead to vomiting, swelling of the tongue, oral cavity and drooling.
Dumb Cane
The Dumb Cane, also known as Dieffenbachia is grown all around the world in over fifty different varieties. The colour, size and shape of this plant differentiate with the area they flourish in. Even though Dumb Cane is a famous foliage plant grown in homes, it has toxic leaves that can induce a burning sensation, intense pain and in severe cases swelling leading to the inability to talk.
Angel's trumpet
A plant that gives one of the most beautiful flowers is Angel’s trumpet also called Brugmansia. Despite its bright hues and wonderful beauty, the plant is quite lethal as it has a high concentration of deadly alkaloids in leaves and seeds. Make sure you wear gloves when you touch this plant as the slightest dosage of poison penetration can cause difficulty in breathing, loss of memory, hallucinations, paralysis, coma and even death.
Philodendron
The Philodendron plant is interestingly known as the green tree or weeping tree because of the large droplets formed on the edge of the leaf during high humidity. Study shows that it is unlikely for humans to reach a fatal end by ingesting this plant, nevertheless, it still has harmful traits. Consumption of this plant can lead to a swelled up tongue, burning mouth and salivation.
These plants may be scary and critical to human health but they can still be grown in homes by maintaining proper caution.
Gurnika Talwar is FNP’s marketing and creative content writer and has been with the firm since 2020. She is based in Delhi, India and has been in this field for 2+ years.
She started her journey as a freshman but since then has created content on several mediums. With blogging on gift ideas, food, gardening tips and whatnot as her primary goal, she has also curated content for social media and brand films. As a storyteller, she creates original, genuine, and relatable content to connect with the mass. Besides work, you’ll find her chit-chatting about movies or making sarcastic jokes.
The plant belladonna has beautiful flowers but the plant in itself is equally dangerous. It is one of the deadliest plants on Earth that can cause hallucinations, loud heartbeats, coma and convulsions within a few hours of consumption. The worst-case scenario is that it can also lead to death amongst pets, kids and adults.
Ficus
The Ficus is a common houseplant that one can easily avail of through online plant delivery. It is known for its beautiful, shiny and thick leaves however its sap can turn out to be quite risky. Children and pets are most vulnerable to the sap of the plant as it is toxic and leads to a rash and stomach aches respectively.
Poison Ivy
In contrast to the name, Poison Ivy is not as poisonous as you might think. It is a vine plant that loves to grow on trees and house walls. It is best to avoid touching the plant with bare hands or ingesting it as it can cause nasty rashes, blisters and itching on the skin for humans and pets.
Elephant Ear
The Elephant Ear, scientifically known as Caladium, is a gorgeous plant with a mix of white, green, pink and red shades dominating the leaves. This plant contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause internal injuries if chewed. So, kids and pets have to be kept at a distance from this plant as it can lead to vomiting, swelling of the tongue, oral cavity and drooling.
Dumb Cane
The Dumb Cane, also known as Dieffenbachia is grown all around the world in over fifty different varieties. The colour, size and shape of this plant differentiate with the area they flourish in. Even though Dumb Cane is a famous foliage plant grown in homes, it has toxic leaves that can induce a burning sensation, intense pain and in severe cases swelling leading to the inability to talk.
Angel's trumpet
A plant that gives one of the most beautiful flowers is Angel’s trumpet also called Brugmansia. Despite its bright hues and wonderful beauty, the plant is quite lethal as it has a high concentration of deadly alkaloids in leaves and seeds. Make sure you wear gloves when you touch this plant as the slightest dosage of poison penetration can cause difficulty in breathing, loss of memory, hallucinations, paralysis, coma and even death.
Philodendron
The Philodendron plant is interestingly known as the green tree or weeping tree because of the large droplets formed on the edge of the leaf during high humidity. Study shows that it is unlikely for humans to reach a fatal end by ingesting this plant, nevertheless, it still has harmful traits. Consumption of this plant can lead to a swelled up tongue, burning mouth and salivation.
These plants may be scary and critical to human health but they can still be grown in homes by maintaining proper caution. 
