I thought it might be a good idea to put in about the subject of poisonous non-edible plants, because some types of plants are edible in different sections of the country, but different species of that same plant may be poisonous in other areas.
The subject of poison ivy and poison oak, has been covered in another thread, so I am going to start with a plant species known as the "Spurges," (Euphorbia).
These plants contain a bitter, milky sap that is irriating to the skin on contact and can be very poisonous if eaten. Some of these plants, such as Snow On The Mountain, are so toxic that bees who visit their flowers often produce poisonous honey.
I am going to list each of these plants and then go into further detail in describing them so that readers can identify and avoid these plants.
1. Snow on the Mountain- found in the eastern & central & southern USA & Mexico
2. Wild Poinsettia- found in eastern & central & southern USA.
3. Cypress Spurge- found in eastern & central, western & southern USA & Canada.
4. Spurge Nettles- found in the southern states of USA.
5. Milk Purslane- found in western & central areas of USA.
6. Tread Softly- found in southern states of USA.
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Snow-On-The-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
Grows from 6-36 inches tall. The tiny flowerheads are greenish, and surrounded by white bracts. The leaves are light green, with white margins. It's habitat is prairies and plains, waste places and fields. It blooms from June-Oct.
http://essmextension.tamu.edu/plants/plant/snow-on-the-mountain-snow-on-the-prairie/
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Wild Poinsettia (euphorbia heterophylla)
Size in height from 6-36 inches. The flowerheads are greenish, in flat clusters amid red bracts. The leaves marked with red are near the flowers. The habitat is damp sandy soils in clearings and forest edges. It blooms from June-Sept.
http://www.friendsofeloisebutler.org/pages/plants/wildpoinsettia.html
[hr]
Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Grows 8-30 inches tall and it's flowerhead is 1/4 to 1/2 inches wide. These flowerheads are in flat-topped clusters, showy and made of tiny true flowers between 2 yellow bracts. The leaves are needle-like. It grows in meadows and lawns and fields. Blooms from March-September.
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3116
The subject of poison ivy and poison oak, has been covered in another thread, so I am going to start with a plant species known as the "Spurges," (Euphorbia).
These plants contain a bitter, milky sap that is irriating to the skin on contact and can be very poisonous if eaten. Some of these plants, such as Snow On The Mountain, are so toxic that bees who visit their flowers often produce poisonous honey.
I am going to list each of these plants and then go into further detail in describing them so that readers can identify and avoid these plants.
1. Snow on the Mountain- found in the eastern & central & southern USA & Mexico
2. Wild Poinsettia- found in eastern & central & southern USA.
3. Cypress Spurge- found in eastern & central, western & southern USA & Canada.
4. Spurge Nettles- found in the southern states of USA.
5. Milk Purslane- found in western & central areas of USA.
6. Tread Softly- found in southern states of USA.
[hr]
Snow-On-The-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)
Grows from 6-36 inches tall. The tiny flowerheads are greenish, and surrounded by white bracts. The leaves are light green, with white margins. It's habitat is prairies and plains, waste places and fields. It blooms from June-Oct.
http://essmextension.tamu.edu/plants/plant/snow-on-the-mountain-snow-on-the-prairie/
[hr]
Wild Poinsettia (euphorbia heterophylla)
Size in height from 6-36 inches. The flowerheads are greenish, in flat clusters amid red bracts. The leaves marked with red are near the flowers. The habitat is damp sandy soils in clearings and forest edges. It blooms from June-Sept.
http://www.friendsofeloisebutler.org/pages/plants/wildpoinsettia.html
[hr]
Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Grows 8-30 inches tall and it's flowerhead is 1/4 to 1/2 inches wide. These flowerheads are in flat-topped clusters, showy and made of tiny true flowers between 2 yellow bracts. The leaves are needle-like. It grows in meadows and lawns and fields. Blooms from March-September.
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3116