10 Beautiful but Harmful Native Plants

Below is a sampling of some of the lovely native plants that can make humans and pets sick or worse. Take care planting these in your garden or landscape, and think twice before planting them if you have many outside pets or small children.

Maianthemum canadense Desf. (Canada Mayflower)

Kingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida - Monocotyledons

Subclass Liliidae -

Order Liliales -

Family Liliaceae - Lily family

Genus Maianthemum G.H. Weber ex Wiggers - mayflower

Species Maianthemum canadense Desf. - Canada mayflower

A perennial that works well in rock gardens; Canada Mayflower will get up to one foot tall. It likes partial to full shade and will have white flowers mid spring. Its foliage is shiny and textured. BEWARE: Some parts of this are poisonous.

Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott (Jack in the Pulpit)

Kingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida - Monocotyledons

Subclass Arecidae -

Order Arales -

Family Araceae - Arum family

Genus Arisaema Mart. - Jack in the pulpit

Species Arisaema triphyllum (L.) Schott - Jack in the pulpit

You'll find this one next to watery slopes, waterfalls, or your local watering hole. Growing up to 2 feet, these have green streaked with purple "pulpits". It has basal leaves that stay in clumps at the base of the stalk. These have red shiny clustered berries for fruit. BEWARE: Jack in the Pulpit's have calcium oxalate crystals present all in the plant and are toxic to most pets. Take care where you have these, but the beauty is astounding.

Asclepias incarnata L. (Swamp Milkweed)

Kingdom Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons

Subclass Asteridae -

Order Gentianales -

Family Asclepiadaceae - Milkweed family

Genus Asclepias L. - milkweed

Species Asclepias incarnata L. - swamp milkweed