COMMON POISONOUS PLANTS OF HAWAllAdapted from the Hawaii State Department of Health Pamphlet of the same name

Name Leaves Flowers Seeds/Fruit Poisonous Parts Type/Remarks TreatmentApple of Sodom, Thorny leaves Small 5-petaled blue Round, hard, pale yellow, All parts of this plant are highly toxic, causing Low straggling Call doctorThorny Popolo, flowers like tomatoes, bitter and tremors, paralysis, collapse, and death in a deep shrub, common(Popolo Kikania) full of seeds coma. weedBe-Still Tree, shiny, dark green, yellow funnel-shaped small, irregularly-shaped All parts of the plant are poisonous and Small tree Early cases should vomitYellow Oleander leaves flowers with mild apples about an inch in HIGHLY TOXIC. Children have been and given a strong(Noho-MaUe) fragrance diameter with two large poisoned from using sticks of this wood on hot laxative, Call doctor

oily seeds dogs or marshmallows.Black-Eyed 7-12 pairs of oblong Small, pink or scarlet with a black patch, The seeds are HIGHLY TOXIC if eaten raw or Smooth, slender, Call doctorSusan, , Rosary leaflets, each -112" long lavender, crowded in shiny and rounded inserted under the skin. (ONE SEED IS branching vinePea, short clusters ENOUGH TO KILL.)Castor Bean Plant 6-11 broad-pointed Seed cases are prickly or Seeds are HIGHLY TOXIC when introduced to Weed ranging in Call doctor(Paaila) lobes with toothed smooth, -I" long, contain the blood stream via a cut or scratch, from size from 3-30',

edges 3 rounded, shiny seeds: stringing seeds for leis & from eating them. green or redblack, gray, or brown Causing loss of appetite, vomiting, frequent hollow stems

bowel movements, shock, and even deathCoral Plant 6-11 deeply notched Red and branch in Oval-shaped green or Seeds - eating large dosages may cause Smooth Do not stop vomiting,

lobes clusters like one type yellow, -I" long, contains vomiting and frequent bowl movements ornamental shrub call doctorof coral 2-3 seeds with milky juice.

5-10' highCrown Flower Pale green, nearly White or lavender The milky juice may irritate or bum the skin or Large shrub up to Call doctor(Pua Kalaunu) stemless, 3-10" long, flowers -1-1/2" eyes and is EXTREMELY TOXIC in large 5' tall, thick

indented at base and diameter, 5 curled- doses. In cases of large doses, it may cause downy brancheswoolly underneath. back petals, prominent violent bowel movements and vomiting.

symmetrical crownJimson Weed, Large irregularly cut & White to violet, Seed pods are spiny All parts of the plant are poisonous and Green-stemmed Early cases should beThorn Apple toothed leaves, dark trumpet-shaped, HIGHLY TOXIC. Headaches, nausea, annual made to vomit. Call(Kikania, La'au- green above, light green 2-4" long & 2" across vomiting, extreme thirst, partial paralysis, and doctorHano) below at the petals loss of sight. In extreme cases death may occur.Oleander Long, narrow, dull, Large, heavy heads of Paired pod-like cylindrical All parts of the plant are highly poisonous, Shrub Early cases should be('OUwa) leaves 4-8" long white to crimson fruits. Tiny seeds with including the wood. Reactions are nausea, made to vomit and givenYellow Oleander scented flowers wings. vomiting, dizziness, colic, drowsiness, a strong laxative. Call(Noho-MaUe) resoiratorv oaralvsis and death doctorPencil Plant None, or few, small & Inconspicuous, at All parts ofthe plant contain a white milky sap Large shrub, dull Wash skin immediately

narrow forks of small green, pencil-like with water. If sap is inbranches stems eye, flush with clean

water and call doctorright away.

Physic Nut Dark green leaves 3-7" Many small greenish Long yellow, fleshy Seeds are moderately toxic A smooth shrub or Do NOT stop thelong flowers capsules. Each contain to small tree with vomiting. Call doctor

three black seeds which milky juice andare pleasant but poisonous spongy wood

Poinsettia Rich green stemmed leaves terminating the Small, inconspicuous Milky juice with leaves that may cause 2-10' high shrub Treat for shock. Callleaves 3-7" long stem are brilliant red, green flowers form in vomiting and frequent vomiting and frequent doctor

pink or white. bunches at the center of bowel movements. If consumed in largecolored leaves amounts, may cause delirium or death.

Star Of Narrow, stemless leaves White, star-like erect -1/2" long capsule The juice burns and is HJGHL Y TOXIC Can 1-2' feet high herb, Call doctorBethlehem 2-6" long with many- flowers cause blindness if it gets into the eyes few or no branches(Pua Hoku) pointed, toothed lobes

Poisonous Plants of Hawaii

Apple of Sodom, Thorny Popolo (Popolo Kikania)- Solanum sodomeum L.A common weed often found in dry, uplandpastures or along roadsides. The shrub is lowand straggling, with thorny leaves and smallfive-petaled blue flowers. The fruits are round,hard, pale yellow, somewhat resemblingtomatoes. They are bitter and full of seeds.

Black-Eyed Susan, Crab's Eye, Rosary Pea or Jequirity Bean - Arbusprecatorius L.A smooth, slender, branching cine best know for its seeds. The seeds arescarlet with a black patch, shiny and rounded. The leaves have seven totwelve pairs of oblong leaflets, each about a half-inch long. Small pink or

'i: lavender flowers are crowded in short clusters.

Castor Bean Plant (Paaila) - Ricinus communis L.A weed ranging in size from three to thirty feet. The large, handsomeleaves have six to eleven broad-pointed lobes with toothed edges. Stemsare green or red and hollow. Seed cases are prickly or smooth, about oneinch long and contain three rounded, shiny, black, gray, or brown-markedseeds.

Coral Plant - Jatropha multifida L.A smooth ornamental shrub with milky juice. Five to ten feet high.Flowers are red and brank inclusters like one type of coral. Fruit is oval-shaped, green or yellow when ripe, about one inch long and contains twoor three seeds.

Crown Flower (Pua Kalaunu) - Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br.A large shrub sometimes reaching a height of 15 feet. Has thick downybranches. White or lavender flowers about 1 1/2 inches in diameter havefive curled-back petals and a prominent symmetrical crown. Leaves arepale green, nearly stemless, three to ten inches long, indented at base

, and wooly underneath.

Jimson Weed, Thorn Apple (Kikania, La'au-Hano) Datura stamonium L.A green-stemmed annual with large leavesirregularly cut and toothed. Leaves are darkgreen above and light green below. Flowersare white to violet, trumpet-shaped, from twoto four inches long and about two inchesacross at the petal. The seed pods are spiny.

Oleander ('Oliwa) - Nerium oleander L.A common ornamental shrub with long,narrow, dull, evergreen leaves four to eightinches long. Large, heavy heads of scentedflowers, ranging in color from white tocrimson. Paired pod-like cylindrical fruits.Tiny seeds with wings.

Pencil Plant - Euphorbia tirucalli L.A large shrub, frequently used as a small potted plant. Composed of aseries of dull green, pencil-like stems. No leaves, or few, small andnarrow. Inconspicuous flowers, at forks of small branches.

Physic Nut - Jatropha curcas LA smooth shrub or small tree with milky juice and spongy wood. It hasdark green leaves three to seven inches long, resembling those of thekukui. The plant bears many small greenish flowers from whichdevelop inch-long yellow, fleshy capsules. Each contains two to threeblack seeds which are pleasant tasting but poisonous.

Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd (The Chrismas flower) A shrubtwo to ten feel high, having rich green, long-stemmed leaves three toseven inches long. The leaves terminating the stem are brillian red or,on some varieties, pink or white. The shrub has milky juice. The trueflowers, greenish in color, form in bunches at the center of the brightly-colored leaves are a small and inconspicuous.

Star-of-Bethlehem (Pua Hoku) Hippobromalongiflora (L.) G. DonAn herb one to two feet high with few or nobranches, found at low altitudes in Hawaii.White, star-like erect flowers. Narrow, stemlessleaves two to six inches long with many-pointed,toothed lobes. The fruit is a nodding capsuleabout a half-inch long.

Yellow Oleander (Noho-Malie) Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K.Schum. (Be-Still Tree)Attractive, ever-blooming shrub or small tree with shiny, dark green,narrow leaves and yellow funnel-shaped flowers with a mild fragrance.One form has salmon-colored flowers. The fruits are small, irregularly-shaped apples about an inch in diameter and contain two large oily seeds.