This is old but potentially useful health information that I first posted
the Ferret Mailing List.  The list is of plants that are known general
poisons but it may well NOT be comprehensive.  Also, note that the degree
of symptoms encountered vary from rashes to death.  A book of poisons can
be very useful to protect critters.  With the season and folks discussing
gardening again on other lists I figured that it may be needed.
 
 
>Date:    Thu, 27 Nov 1997 13:12:34 -0500
>From:    Sukie Crandall
>Subject: some poisonous plants
>
>Smatterings from _Handbook of Poisoning_ (Doesn't that sound like
>something used by Boris and Natasha?), 11 edition, by Dreisbach, pg.
>541-556 (Ferrets may differ in being affected by some things.): akee,
>castor bean and jequirity bean, fava beans if favaism present, hemlock,
>an assortment of fungi, calla lily, elephant ear, jack in the pulpit,
>other arum family members, oleander, poke weed, rhubarb leaves,
>nightshade, jerusalem cherry, green potato sprouts, some other solanaceae
>members, yew, croton oil, foxglove, henbane, jimsonweed, larkspur, meadow
>saffrom (colchicum -- a popular flowering plant for this time of year),
>monkshood, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, false hellebore,
>baneberry, betelnut seeds, bird of paradise seed pods, bleeding heart,
>bloodroot, boxwood leaves and twigs, buckeye seed, horsechestnut seed,
>burning bush fruit and leaves, spindle tree fruit and leaves, calabar
>bean, celedine, cherry seed and leaves (another source includes the
>bark), china berry fruit and leaves, chrysanthemum (though I know there
>is a Chinese variety used for food and my favorite tea, the source says
>there is a resin which can cause dermatitis), corn cockle seeds,
>crowfoot, christmas rose, marsh marigold, buttercups and other
>ranunculus, daffodil bulbs, daphne, finger cherry fruit, glory lily,
>elderberry, holly berries, hyacinth bulbs, hydrangea, indian tobacco
>(lobelia), iris roots, jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), jetberry
>berries, jute stem, laburnum, golden chain, kentucky coffee bean,
>lantana, laurel, lily of the valley, locust seeds, lupin, lupine,
>manchineel, mago fruit skin and tree sap, mexican poppy leaves and seeds,
>mistletoe, moonseed fruit, nutmeg seeds (?  Don't ask me?), physic nut
>seed, poinsettia (though this is mild compared with some of the others --
>basically gastroenteritis or dermatitis), primrose, privet, rayless
>goldenrod, snakeroot, rhododenron, sweet pea, tung nut seed, wisteria,
>yellow oleander.
>
>There, now folks wondering about their plants can look them up.  Whew!
>
>[P.S.]
>Oh, arum includes dieffenbachia, caladium, alocasia, colocasia,
>philodendron, and arisaema with all parts dangerous as well.
[Posted in FML issue 3400]