County Landscape & Design

Poisonous Plants Commonly Occurring in Southern California
by Owen E. Dell

LATIN NAME	COMMON NAME
Aesculus californica	California Buckeye
Agapanthus spp.	Lily of the Nile
Allium spp.	Wild Garlic/Wild Onion
Alocasia spp.	Elephant's Ear
Aloe spp.	no common name
Amaryllis spp.	no common name
Anagallis arvensis	Pimpernel
Anemone spp.	Pasque Flower
Argemone munita	Prickly Poppy
Aucuba japonica	Japanese Aucuba
Brassica spp.	Mustard, Wild Radish
Buxus sempervirens	Boxwood
Caladium spp.	no common name
Calycanthus spp.	Allspice, Sweetshrub
Cannabis sativa	You-Know-What
Capsicum spp.	Chili Pepper
Caryota spp.	Fishtail Palm
Cassia fistula	Golden Shower
Catharanthus roseus	Periwinkle
Cestrum nocturnum	Night-Blooming Jasmine
Chamaemelum nobile	Chamomile
Clematis spp.	no common name
Clivia spp.	Kaffir Lily
Colocasia spp.	Elephant's Ear
Conium maculatum	Poison Hemlock
Corynocarpus laevigatus	New Zealand Laurel
Cotyledon spp.	no common name
Crassula arborescens	Silver Jade Plant
Crassula argentea	Jade Plant
Cyclamen europaeum	Common Cyclamen
Cytisus spp.	Broom
Datura spp.	Jimson Weed
Dieffenbachia spp.	Dumbcane
Digitalis purpurea	Foxglove
Duranta repens	Golden Dewdrop, Skyflower
Eriobotrya japonica	Loquat
Erythrina spp.	Coral Tree
Eschscholzia californica	California Poppy
Euphorbia spp.	various common names
Gelsemium sempervirens	Carolina Jessamine
Hedera spp.	Ivy
Hydrangea macrophylla	no common name
Ilex spp.	Holly
Ipomoea tricolor	Morning Glory
Iris spp.	no common name
Kalanchoe spp.	no common name
Lantana camara	no common name
Lathyrus odoratus	Sweet Pea
Ligustrum vulgare	Privet
Lobelia cardinalis	Cardinal Flower
Lonicera spp.	Honeysuckle
Mahonia spp.	Holly Grape, Barberry
Malus spp.	Apple
Mangifera indica	Mango
Melaleuca quinquinervia	Cajeput Tree
Melianthus major	Honeybush
Mirabilis jalapa	Four-O'Clock
Monstera deliciosa	Cutleaf Philodendron
Myoporum laetum	no common name
Narcissus spp.	Daffodil
Nerium oleander	Oleander
Nicotiana glauca	Tree Tobacco
Philodendron spp.	no common name
Phoradendron spp.	Mistletoe
Prunus spp.	Apricot, Peach, Plum
Ranunculus spp.	Buttercup
Rhamnus californica	Buckthorn
Rheum rhabarbarum	Rhubarb
Rhododendron spp.	Azalea, Rhododendron
Ricinus communis	Castor Bean
Robinia pseudoacacia	Black Locust
Sambucus caerulea, S. mexicana	Elderberry
Schinus molle	California Pepper
Schinus terebenthifolius	Brazilian Pepper
Scilla spp.	Squill
Senecio spp.	various common names
Solandra spp.	Chalice Vine
Solanum spp.	various common names
Symphoricarpos spp.	Snowberry
Taxus spp.	Yew
Thevetia peruviana	Yellow Oleander
Viola odorata	Sweet Violet
Wisteria spp.	no common name
Zantedeschia aethiopica	Calla
Zigadenus spp.	Death Camas

Plants Causing Dermatitis Commonly Occurring in Southern California

LATIN NAME	COMMON NAME
**Achillea millefolium [PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS]	Yarrow
**Agave spp. [IRRITATING SAP]	various common names
Allium spp.	Wild Onion
**Artemisia spp. [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Mugwort
Aster spp.	no common name
Caladium bicolor	no common name
Caryota mitis	Fishtail Palm
Chrysanthemum spp.	Daisy
**Citrus aurantifolia [PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS]	Lime
**Clematis spp. [IRRITATING SAP]	Virgin's Bower
Cynodon dactylon	Common Bermudagrass
**Daucus carota [PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS]	Carrot
Dichondra repens	no common name
Dieffenbachia spp	Dumbcane
Erigeron spp.	Fleabane
**Eucalyptus globulus [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Blue Gum
Euphorbia spp.	various common names
Ficus carica	Fig
**Ficus pumila [PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS]	Creeping Fig
Gingko biloba	Gingko Tree
Grevillea robusta	Silk Oak
**Hedera spp. [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Ivy
Humulus lupulus	Hops
Hyacinthus spp	Hyacinth
Hydrangea spp.	Hydrangea
Iva spp.	Marsh Elder
Juglans nigra	Black Walnut
**Larrea tridentata [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Creosote Bush
**Lupinus hirsutissimus [STINGING HAIRS]	Stinging Lupine
**Lycopersicon esculentum [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Tomato
Maclura pomifera	Osage Orange
**Magnolia grandiflora [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Magnolia
Narcissus spp.	Daffodil
**Nerium oleander [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Oleander
**Opuntia spp. [STINGING HAIRS, DETACHABLE NEEDLES]	various common names
Parthenocissus quinqefolia	Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus tricuspidata	Boston Ivy
**Phacelia imbricata [STINGING HAIRS]	no common name
Phacelia spp.	various common names
Philodendron scandens	Heartleaf Philodendron
Philodendron selloum	no common name
Phoradendron serotinum	Mistletoe
Plumbago capensis	Cape Plumbago
Plumeria rubra	no common name
Primula obconica	German Primrose
Prosopis glandulosa	Mesquite
Ranunculus spp.	Buttercup
Ricinus communis	Castor Bean
Rudbeckia hirta	Blackeyed Susan
**Ruta graveolens [PHYTOPHOTODERMATITIS]	Rue
Schinus terebenthifolius	Brazilian Pepper
Senecio cineraria	Cineraria, Dusty Miller
**Tagetes minuta [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Mexican Marigold
**Toxicodendron diversilobum [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	Western Poison Oak
Tulipa spp.	Tulip
**Umbellularia californica [CONTACT DERMATITIS]	California Bay Laurel
Urtica dioica	Stinging Nettle

SOURCES:

1. Lampe, Dr. Kenneth F. and Mary Ann McCann, AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, c.1985, American Medical Association, Chicago

2. Fuller, Thomas C. and Elizabeth McClintock, Poisonous Plants of California, c.1986, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Other Writings By Owen E. Dell