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PLEASE NOTE:
"Poisonous" does not mean deadly. Some manifestations of toxicity are subtle. The dose, as always, determines if a plant is safe source of nutrients or a toxic hazard.

Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions

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BRIEF: I need some information on poisonous plants...


QUESTION:
Do you happen to know the best source of information on poisonous plants? It seems that every database and list I look at presents different, even contradictory, information. I recently inherited some new plants and am reluctant to bring them in the house with my cats without the most accurate information possible.

ANSWER:

For houseplants, I use the book: Toxicity of Houseplants by SPoerke and Smolinske. For general work: Poisonous Plants of California by Fuller and McClintock,, Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America by Turner and Szczawinski and Poisonous Plants of Eastern North America by Westbrooks and preacher. For the reasons specific plant poison plants, see Cheeke's Natural Toxicants in Feeds, Forages and Posisonous plants. There are lots of good web page systems out there, too.