As of: March 18, 2024, 7:30 p.m
By: Laura Hindelang
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Poisonous plants are often difficult to recognize.
Because at first glance they look very similar to harmless plant species.
1 / 11In wild garlic, a single leaf grows from the ground on a stalk.
The underside of the leaf is matt and the leaves are generally very delicate and sensitive, informs the ARD magazine Brisant.
The herb's most distinctive feature, however, is its garlicky smell.
© Zoonar/Imago
2 / 11Lily of the valley and wild garlic both bloom until June.
In contrast to the culinary herb, lilies of the valley have no smell.
Lily of the valley also has two leaves growing on one stem.
© imagebrocker/Imago
3 / 11As the name suggests, the autumn crocus blooms in autumn.
The plant has several leaves growing directly from a rosette, without its own stem.
© Manfred Ruckszio/Imago
4 / 11The smell is also a clear distinguishing feature of cow parsley: the herb smells spicy of celery.
The stem of the plant is also hairy, explains the Techniker Krankenkasse.
© blickwinkel/Imago
5 / 11In contrast to cow parsley, hemlock has a round, smooth stem that is patterned with reddish-brown or purple spots.
In contrast to the aromatic culinary herb, hemlock smells like mouse urine when you rub it between your hands, according to the Techniker Krankenkasse.
© Wirestock/Imago
6 / 11True to its name, the sorrel tastes sour and fresh.
Aside from cooking, the herb is also used as a medicinal plant.
The sorrel produces small, red flowers and has narrow, elongated, pointed leaves, informs the ARD magazine Brisant.
© Shotshop/Imago
7 / 11In contrast to the sorrel, the Aaron's rod does not produce flowers, but rather cobs.
The leaves are large and heart-shaped and a less intense shade of green.
Anyone who mixes up the plants will notice the mistake immediately.
The Aaronic Rod causes stabbing pain the first time it touches the tongue, warns the Techniker Krankenkasse.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
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8 / 11Tasty and harmless: The blueberry is considered a local superfood.
The berry is blue-black and not shiny, emphasizes the garden journal.
The size of the plant is also crucial: a blueberry bush grows to a maximum height of 60 centimeters.
© blickwinkel/Imago
9 / 11The black belladonna can grow up to two meters in height and is therefore significantly larger than the blueberry.
However, according to the garden journal, the clearer distinguishing feature is the fruit: the deadly nightshade is black and has a shiny surface.
© imagebroker/Imago
10 / 11Comfrey, an old medicinal plant, is characterized by protruding, rough-haired and tapered leaves, according to the ARD magazine Brisant.
The purple flowers of the comfrey also hang downwards in so-called double coils.
Both can be crucial clues for identifying the plant.
© Imagebroker/Imago
11 / 11The red foxglove also blooms purple, but the flowers grow closely together and hang down on one side like a bell.
The leaves have small, irregular serrations.
© Jan Eifert/Imago
Spring is wild garlic time.
Every year, the sought-after wild herb encourages numerous amateur chefs to take a trip into nature and collect the green leaves themselves.
However, you should have good knowledge of it.
Wild garlic can hardly be distinguished externally from lily of the valley or autumn crocus - both are poisonous species that should under no circumstances be consumed by humans.
In addition to wild garlic, there are a number of other plants that have a poisonous counterpart.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
These look harmless, but contact with the skin can cause allergic reactions and symptoms of poisoning.
With some plants, such as belladonna or foxglove, consuming even a small amount can be fatal.
Although this is rarely the case,
cases of poisoning that can be traced back to the dangerous twins are reported to the
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment every year.
Small children who eat poisonous fruits, for example, are particularly affected.
Even adults find it difficult to distinguish between an edible wild plant and a harmless plant.
People's general knowledge of natural topics is clearly declining, emphasizes Helge Masch, head of the special botanical garden in Hamburg-Wandsbek, in an interview with the
Hamburger Abendblatt
.
This makes it all the more important to familiarize yourself with the characteristics and differences between poisonous plants and their counterparts.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has published a complete list of native garden plants and plants in the wild that can cause moderate and severe poisoning.