What came first ranking of the most poisonous plants in the world 2026? It is not at all aconite, nightshade, or an exotic, little-known flower from the very center of the Amazon forest. The inglorious winner was… garden beans.
Botanische Sondergarten Wandsbek, the Hamburg Botanical Garden, has been publishing a list of the most poisonous plants for 20 years. The most important goal of the event is to expand knowledge of botany. Not everyone is aware that many plant species, even those seemingly well-known, when used inappropriately can be very dangerous to health and even life.
This year in fifth place was the daphne (Daphne mezereum), 11.5%. votes. It is a plant with beautifully blooming purple flowers and red fruits, which is often grown in gardens. It is worth knowing that all its parts are highly poisonous. If a child eats even one or two fruits, it can be fatal.
Fourth place and 14.2 percent The votes were won by the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), also known as white hellebore. It blooms with white flowers in late winter or early spring. All parts of this plant are highly poisonous, even skin contact with its juices may be dangerous.
Third place went to the poisonous crayfish (Conium maculatum), also known as the hemlock, with 16.4%. It is a wild plant that each of us has certainly encountered while walking. It is extremely poisonous and was used for executions in ancient Greece. The Greek philosopher Socrates was said to have died by “drinking hemlock”. The substances contained in the plant cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, which may lead to death by suffocation.
Second place and 27.9 percent votes went to the angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens). It is a popular ornamental plant, known as Datura or Brugmansia among gardening enthusiasts. It grows up to 2 to 5 meters high and has cup-shaped, trumpet-shaped flowers. It is highly toxic and, if used incorrectly, may have hallucinogenic effects.
The first place in the ranking (30 percent of votes) was taken by the well-known and widely liked garden beans. Can eating this vegetable grown in your own garden really be dangerous? After all, for many people there is no tastier summer dinner than beans served with fried eggs and eggs. We calm down, the danger only occurs with raw pods. It is contained in garden beans and other legumes of the Phaseolus genus toxic compound lectin, also called phasein. It causes severe food poisoning, shortness of breath and fever. Luckily by cooking at a temperature of 100 degrees for approx. 10-15 minutes, harmful substances are neutralizedand we can safely eat beans. After all, it is very healthy, it contains a lot of protein, fiber, vitamins C and E, as well as minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron. In addition, it contains few calories and has a low glycemic index, so you can eat it even on a slimming diet.
Interestingly, raw garden beans are less dangerous than other plants that were included in the ranking.
In 2025, the list of the most poisonous plants included: rubber tree (Ficus Elastica), field cornwort (Anagallis arvensis), coral viburnum (Viburnum opulus) and peony (Paeonia). It took first place cashew tree (Anacardium)which is known for its tasty nuts. In this case, dangerous compounds are present in raw cashew seeds and their husks.
In previous years, the winners were: potato and parsley. Of course, this did not apply to ripe vegetables, but to green parts and sprouting potato tubers and parsley seeds.
Sources: Terazgotuje.pl, hamburg.de
