A few common poisonous plants grow in Vermont. It's important to be able to identify these plants because they can cause serious health problems if you touch or eat them. Click on a plant to learn more about health risks and how to identify it.
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False hellebore (Veratrum viride) is a leafy plant native to Vermont that comes up very early in the spring. False hellebore can be found almost anywhere in Vermont, like backyards, forests, roadsides, or anywhere there is wet soil. It is also known by other common names such as Indian poke, Indian hellebore, American white hellebore, or bunchflowers. Some people may call false hellebore skunk cabbage.
When it is only a few inches tall, the false hellebore plant is easily confused with ramps or wild leeks, which people harvest to eat. False hellebore is toxic when you eat it. It is not toxic if you touch it. False hellebore is also toxic to pets and livestock, which experience similar symptoms as humans.
The Health Department advises people foraging for ramps to know how to correctly identify them.
Ramps typically smell like onion or garlic when the leaves are broken. False hellebore does not have this smell. However, the smell alone does not guarantee that a plant you’ve picked is a ramp. Make sure to do your research before you go out, and be sure that you know how to identify ramps. Consider taking a foraging class from a trusted organization.
False hellebore contains many different chemicals called steroidal alkaloids in all parts of the plant. Steroidal alkaloids change the way that cells regulate sodium concentrations inside cells. Sodium concentration inside the cells is very tightly regulated, and when that goes awry our bodies can become sick very quickly.
Eating false hellebore can cause dangerous changes in your heart and you should seek immediate medical care. If you eat false hellebore, you may notice symptoms within 30 minutes to 4 hours after eating it.
Typically, you will have severe nausea and vomiting first. Then you may notice a slowed heartbeat and a drop in blood pressure. Other symptoms can include:
If you’ve eaten false hellebore, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Contact the Northern New England Poison Center right away by calling 1-800-222-1222. You can also chat online or text “poison” to 85511.
In most cases, people who have eaten false hellebore will need to go to the hospital. The effects on the heart need to be managed by medical professionals, and the poison center will advise the hospital staff on how best to treat people.
Find photos and more information about false hellebore
Find photos and more information about ramps (wild leeks)
Giant hogweed is a large invasive plant that grows in moist, disturbed soil like along riverbanks, roadsides, ditches and fields.
Giant hogweed produces a sap that can cause painful burns or blisters, redness and swelling, scarring or long-lasting discoloration to your skin in the presence of sunlight. If you get sap in your eyes, you could experience temporary or permanent vision loss.
Giant hogweed isn’t common in Vermont, but it has been found in some areas. If you see giant hogweed, do not touch it. It's important to report your sighting to Vermont Invasives so the plant can be removed to prevent spreading. Look for these characteristics:
Giant hogweed produces a sap that can cause painful burns or blisters, redness and swelling, scarring or long-lasting discoloration to your skin when exposed to sunlight. If you get sap in your eyes, you could experience temporary or permanent vision loss.
If you get sap on your skin:
Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a versatile plant that can grow as a climbing vine, shrub or even a small tree. This plant is found throughout Vermont, especially in wooded areas, either wet or dry. You may have heard the saying, “Leaves of three, leave me be!” which highlights a key identifying feature of poison ivy: its leaves grow in groups of three.
Poison ivy produces an oil that can cause significant skin irritation. Each part of the plant can trigger a reaction, including indirect contact with oil that may have been transferred from clothing, pets, garden tools and more. Burning the plant and inhaling smoke can cause serious health risks.
Remember: "Leaves of three, leave me be!" Pay attention to your surroundings outdoors and avoid plants with these characteristics:
If you come into contact with poison ivy, wash the area that touched the plant as soon as possible. Use a skin cleanser made for poison ivy, like Tecnu, which can remove oils from the plant before they form a rash. If you don't have a special cleanser available, remove any clothes that might have oil on them and wash your body thoroughly with soap and water.
Poison sumac is a native shrub related to poison ivy. While less common than poison ivy, it can be found in Vermont's wetlands.
Like poison ivy, poison sumac produces an oil that can cause significant skin irritation. Each part of the plant can trigger a reaction, including indirect contact with oil that may have been transferred from clothing, pets, garden tools and more. Burning the plant and inhaling smoke can cause serious health risks.
Pay attention to your surroundings outdoors and avoid plants with these characteristics:
If you come into contact with poison sumac, wash the area that touched the plant as soon as possible. Use a skin cleanser made for poison sumac, like Tecnu, which can remove oils from the plant before they form a rash. If you don't have a special cleanser available, remove any clothes that might have oil on them and wash your body thoroughly with soap and water.
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial plant found in most of North America, including Vermont. The leaves and stems of this plant are covered in thin, stinging hairs. When hairs are brushed against or broken, they act like tiny needles that release chemicals that can irritate your skin. If you come into contact with stinging nettle, you might feel a b
urning or stinging sensation followed by redness and itching that lasts for a few hours.
Stinging nettle grows in moist soil and commonly grows in stream banks, ditches and disturbed areas.
If you touch stinging nettle, wash the affected area immediately to wash away chemicals and remove stinging hairs. You may get a stinging, burning, itchy and bumpy rash. Usually the rash will go away after a few hours - if your rash persists after 24 hours or gets worse, contact your health care provider.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a fast-growing woody vine that is common across Vermont. It often climbs up trees, fences, rock walls and buildings. This native plant is sometimes planted for decoration, but also grows in the wild and provides food and cover for birds and insects.
All parts of the Virginia creeper plant have crystals that can irritate skin or cause stomach problems if eaten. The berries of Virginia creeper are especially toxic to people and pets if eaten.
Virginia creeper is a woody vine that likes to climb. The plant grows small, dark blue berries in the fall that are toxic to people and pets.
Eating any part of the Virginia creeper plant can cause stomach problems, and its berries are especially toxic.
If you’ve eaten Virginia creeper berries, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Contact the Northern New England Poison Center right away by calling 1-800-222-1222. You can also chat online or text “poison” to 85511. Call 9-1-1 if you have a serious reaction like difficulty breathing.
Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) is an invasive species that is very common in many parts of Vermont. The plants grow wild along roadsides and other unmaintained areas. They produce yellow flowers that look like Queen Anne’s Lace. Most people refer to wild parsnip as "poison parsnip."
Although this is the same plant as the common garden parsnip we eat in soups and stews, the flower heads are the second-year growth from the carrot-like roots. It is a close relative of carrots, parsley, angelica, and giant hogweed, all of which can cause similar skin reactions in sensitive individuals.
The Health Department advises people to stay away from direct skin and eye contact with wild parsnip sap.
Giant hogweed isn’t common in Vermont, but it has been found in some areas. If you see giant hogweed, do not touch it. It's important to report your sighting to Vermont Invasives so the plant can be removed to prevent spreading. Look for these characteristics:
Giant hogweed produces a sap that can cause painful burns or blisters, redness and swelling, scarring or long-lasting discoloration to your skin when exposed to sunlight. If you get sap in your eyes, you could experience temporary or permanent vision loss.
If you get sap on your skin:
