There are a lot of flora in the world that look safe and even cute. But be careful what you touch or taste—many plants contain poison that can kill in a matter of hours, Publey reports. Before you are the most dangerous plants worlds that should be avoided for your own safety.

#1 Vekh

Known for its beautiful umbellate inflorescences, Veh is the most poisonous looking plants in North America. Even a drop of a toxin called cicutoxin can kill a large animal or person. This substance affects the nervous system, causing convulsions and paralysis.

#2 Rosary Prayer

This plant has many names, but it got its main name due to the fact that its red berries are often used to make Catholic rosaries. The rosary is bright, beautiful flowers different shades red and pink. Even one berry of this plant can cause the death of an adult.

#3 Oleander

Nerium (another name for oleander) is an evergreen tropical shrub with beautiful, bright colors. Oleander is popular among gardeners around the world due to its unpretentiousness. But you should know: any part of this plant is very poisonous.

#4 Belladonna

This homeland poisonous berry are the deciduous forests of Eurasia. It can be distinguished by its bright shiny black fruits and pale green leaves. All parts of belladonna contain two types of poison: atropine and scopolamine. Both toxins cause muscle spasms and often lead to cardiac arrest. Even touching the leaves can cause a chemical burn.

#5 Rhododendron

This flower is the symbol of Nepal. Initially, it was widespread only in Asia, but now it has inhabited almost all continents (except Antarctica, of course). Rhododendron belongs to the heather family. It is distinguished by beautiful flowers arranged in bunches. The trunk, flowers, leaves and roots contain a very impressive list of toxic substances, each of which is harmful individually, and in combination is extremely dangerous for both people and domestic animals.

#6 Ageratina the Highest

This plant is a relative of the common aster. Grows in Central and North America. Its juice contains a toxic substance, dromol. It causes poisoning, hallucinations, muscle spasms and even death. There is an opinion that Abraham Lincoln's mother died precisely because of ageratina.

#7 Manchineel tree

The homeland of this highly toxic plant is the tropics of both Americas. Even smoke from a fire filled with fresh manzilla wood can cause temporary blindness. Warriors used this to demoralize their opponents. But the most poisonous part of this tree is its fruit. They resemble medium-sized apples and in Mexican the name sounds like “apple of death.”

#8 Hogweed

Perhaps the most famous in middle lane Poisonous plant in Russia. Previously, hogweed grew only in Asia, but now you can find entire fields of this plant throughout Europe. Hogweed juice contains furocoumarin, which can cause chemical burns, complete blindness and death.

#9 Autumn Colchicum

He's a crocus. Popular among gardeners, but not everyone knows that crocus is poisonous and contains colchicine, which has an effect similar to arsenic. Not even a large number of The toxin causes nausea, diarrhea and severe burning in the mucous membrane. Serious intoxication causes organ failure and death.

#10 Cerberus of Adullam

It is also called the “suicide tree” because it is responsible for more deaths than any other representative of the flora kingdom. Cerberus grows in the tropical forests of India. According to official data, more than 150 people die a year due to poisoning by Cerberus fruits. However, this plant is also well suited for deliberate killing, since its poison is highly toxic, and the taste can be easily overwhelmed by spices.

#11 May Lily of the Valley

The most spring of poisonous plants widely known in Europe, Asia and North America. It can be found in almost any area among older people. Lily of the valley is unpretentious, aesthetic and fragrant. But it contains poison that can stop the heart.

#12 Castor bean

This plant is popular among gardeners around the world, but the Asian tropics are considered its homeland. The most poisonous part of the plant is the fruit, which contains ricin. According to the Guinness Book of Records, ricin is the most powerful plant poison in the world.

#13 Stinging tree

If in Australia or Oceania you come across a plant that looks like a harmless burdock, do not try to pick it. The stinging tree is covered with needles that contain a powerful neurotoxin that instantly causes pain. Because of it, many dogs and other pets died.

#14 Wrestler

Wolfsbane is similar in appearance to lupine and is known for its vibrant, deep purple flowers. It grows all over the world, but the high mountain meadows of Europe and Asia are considered its homeland. The roots and seeds of aconite are extremely poisonous. As with most poisons, small doses are used in medicines. In particular - for cardiac muscle stimulants.

#15 Brugmansia

This evergreen shrub is native to the Andes and can reach six meters in height. The plant is poisonous from roots to fruits. However, Brazilians smoke dried Brugmansia leaves, which have a strong narcotic effect for communicating with spirits and, oddly enough, for treating asthma (there is no scientific evidence for this).

#16 Tobacco

Perhaps the most common type of poisonous plants consumed by humans. Contains nicotine and a whole bunch of toxins, the dangers of which everyone knows.

#17 Dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia is native to Central America. It is often grown as indoor plant, but not all amateur gardeners know that Dieffenbachia has extremely poisonous leaves. It is believed that one portion of the poison paralyzes the vocal cords, the second immobilizes the entire body, and the third causes death.

#18 Yew Berry

This valuable tree is not only beautiful material for furniture and interior decoration, but also has a powerful poison (it is not only found in berries, but the seeds are no less poisonous). Pollen is also poisonous and can cause lung spasms, suffocation, and rashes. Distributed throughout Eurasia.

#19 Narcissus

Known since ancient times, this flower can be found in every garden. All plants of this species contain the poison lycorine (especially a lot of it in the bulb). About the toxic properties of this beautiful flower Not everyone knows, but narcissus has long been used by people for suicide (the likelihood of severe poisoning, vomiting and diarrhea is much higher than eating a critical dose of lycorine).

#20 Voronets Thick-legged

In its homeland, in North America, this plant is also called “doll eyes” because of its white berries with a black tail. Voronets venom causes relaxation of the heart muscles, burning of the mucous membranes, hallucinations and memory loss. Severe poisoning in the absence of medical attention inevitably leads to death.

#21 Larkspur

Also known as dilphinium, this genus contains more than 300 species that are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is easy to cultivate, has beautiful and bright flowers, but contains a number of toxins, the consumption of which causes severe poisoning and can lead to death.

#22 Broom Crown

This shrub from the legume family has a strong poison, known to the peoples of Europe for a long time. If you consume it, cardiac or respiratory arrest may occur. Alkoloids contained in broom juice have a particularly negative effect on children, pregnant women and the elderly.

#23 Foxglove

Champion in the number of symptoms of poisoning: elevated temperature, hyperventilation of the lungs, hallucinations, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, runny nose, aching joints. And this despite the fact that foxglove is a popular plant for gardening and ornamental cultivation due to its incredibly beautiful inflorescences. Another name for foxgloves (in the West) is dead bells.

#24 Datura Common

Datura is a member of the nightshade family. It is not for nothing that the name of the plant is synonymous with poison. It contains scopolamine and other toxins, so the risk of becoming a victim of dope is extremely high (especially among people who are unfamiliar with the symptoms of poisoning).

#25 Cassia trumpet

This shrub can grow seven meters in height. It can be recognized by its incredibly beautiful cascade of fragrant flowers. All parts of the plant are poisonous, but it is the pods that carry the danger, since children may mistakenly mistake them for pea pods, from which they are practically indistinguishable. Over the past few years, there have been 7 fatal cases of cassia poisoning in England alone.

Poisonous plants are increasingly becoming neighbors of humanity, migrating from deep jungles to apartments. However, this does not mean that they have lost their deadly power. So remember: this beauty is truly deadly.

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Poisonous plants include plants that contain compounds that, when entering the human body, cause poisoning. Particularly dangerous are those that can lead to serious consequences for human health and life. And such plants are found not only in the Amazon jungle. They are growing in our country too. Imagine that there are approximately 400 species of them growing in Russia and neighboring countries!

They can be found in forests, meadows, ponds and even near residential buildings, in vegetable gardens and front gardens. Therefore, of course, it is good to be able to understand them. It is useful to know which plant is dangerous to life and health? Of course, it is not possible to study everything. But being able to distinguish between the most common and frequently encountered ones is simply necessary.

I would like to introduce you to some plants that are best avoided when meeting:

Cicuta. Grows in lowlands, near ponds or directly in the water. It is poisonous and very dangerous grass. If you hold a hemlock stem in your mouth even for a couple of seconds, life-threatening poisoning is guaranteed. It's even worse to swallow small piece stem. After 5-10 minutes, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness begin. The person turns pale, weakens before his eyes, and has difficulty breathing. In this case, the victim should be immediately taken to a doctor.

Wolf's Bast. This shrub beckons in summer with its beautiful, bright lilac-pink flowers. And in the fall it is covered with delicious red fruits that children love to try. You need to know this and explain to them that the flowers and berries of the bush are very poisonous. After the berry enters the digestive tract, the body becomes covered with bloody blisters, and severe impairment of the kidneys and liver occurs. For a child, only 5-6 berries are a lethal dose.

Hemlock spotted(mottled). This plant is dangerous because its foliage is very similar to carrot tops or parsley. But the entire plant is poisonous, including its dill-like seeds. If you eat any part of the hemlock, within an hour you will experience clouding, confusion, dizziness, and a severe attack of headache. The injured person cannot stand on his feet and sways.

His throat swells, which is why he cannot drink, although the thirst begins to be very strong. The face turns pale, becomes distorted, convulsions occur, and the body swells. If proper medical care is not provided, death may occur within 4-6 hours.

Henbane. It can often be found along roads, in fields and wastelands, abandoned places. You can recognize henbane by its yellow-white flowers, along which purple veins run. Next to the flowers are green closed baskets containing seeds resembling poppy seeds.

Remember that poppies do not produce white and yellow flowers. And these are henbane seeds, which, if eaten, can cause serious poisoning that is life-threatening.

May lily of the valley. You need to be careful with the plant, although its lovely fragrant flowers decorate more than one home in late spring. You should be especially wary of the bright red lily of the valley berries that appear after flowering. Since the berries look very appetizing, the hand itself reaches out to try them. But this is absolutely impossible to do. The berries cause poisoning, sometimes life-threatening. The condition is characterized by headache and tinnitus. There is a rare pulse, constriction of the pupils, convulsions appear, and sometimes fainting occurs.

Crow's eye. The fruits of this plant are often confused with blueberries. But if you look closely, you will notice that the wolf bast berry grows singly between four leaves, resembling a bird's eye, which is reflected in the name. Blueberries have many leaves on the stem, but there is rarely only one berry. Usually there are several of them and they are smaller in size. Berry raven eye poisonous. Causes severe poisoning, especially in children. Often life-threatening.

Fraxinella(wild star anise, burning bush, fire-herb). This plant is dangerous due to burns. It’s generally better not to touch him with your bare hands, and in general just being near him is very dangerous. The ash tree blooms beautifully, reminiscent blooming wild rosemary. But the flowers of the poisonous plant are much larger. After flowering, seeds appear in their place (boxes that look like stars). If you take the seeds in your palm, you will feel strong smell some kind of medicine, with a hint of orange.

Essential oils, released by the plant are so strong that if you set fire to the plant, it will flare up quickly, the flame around it will be unusual, red-purple. In this case, the plant itself will not burn.

So, the seeds and capsules are extremely poisonous. Poisoning does not appear immediately, but after 8-12 hours. After which a kind of burn appears on the skin, which turns into a watery blister. The skin underneath begins to break down, forming open wounds that take a very long time to heal. If the poisoning is extensive, death may occur.

To prevent trouble from happening, be careful and do not touch unfamiliar plants, flowers, berries that you meet in forests, fields, meadows and near water bodies. Do not pick them up, do not smell them, and especially do not taste unknown berries. Teach safety precautions to your children, who, due to their natural curiosity, love to explore and try everything. Be healthy!

Hazardous plants are plants that may pose a threat to human life or health. Moreover, in the wild, dangers of many plants can appear that are not relevant for humans in a civilized area.

Very often the concept of “dangerous plants” is considered as a synonym for the term “poisonous plants”. This, however, is incorrect, since the dangers from plants to humans are not limited to poisoning from eating them, inhaling the smell of their flowers, or damaging the skin. The range of dangers that plants pose to humans is much wider.

Ironically, the most dangerous plant in Russia is not the most poisonous at all. This is a hogweed, touching which leads to severe, extensive skin burns.

This is especially true for a person who finds himself alone with wild nature and is forced to survive here. Firstly, he may encounter plants and their dangers that he would not encounter if he simply went out into nature. Secondly, the body of a surviving person is often weakened by hunger, thirst, injuries, long marches, low or high temperature air and other factors. Thirdly, in different conditions Plants that are completely harmless in other situations can turn out to be dangerous. For example, fresh or dry grass on a flat surface is safe, but on a steep slope it can cause you to slip, fall and slide to the edge of a cliff. You need to know about all such dangers in order to be able to avoid them in extreme situations.

How can plants be dangerous to humans in the wild?

Dangers that wild plants can pose to humans include:

• Poisoning. Most often they occur when a person tries to eat berries, fruits and tubers of plants that are unfamiliar to him, or when he tries to treat diseases with them without having sufficient knowledge to do so. Such poisonings vary greatly in severity and duration of negative consequences. In the most serious cases, death can occur.
• Burns. They occur when human skin, mucous membranes and eyes come into contact with certain plants, such as nettle and Sosnowski's hogweed. Such burns can be very painful and, as a result of scratching the skin or tearing the resulting blisters, lead to further infection of the wound, which in survival conditions can end disastrously.
• Damage and injury. Most often, these include punctures of the skin by thorns of various plants (rose hips, barberry, honey locust), eye damage from branches when moving in the dark or in a group through a dense forest without keeping a distance, as well as dislocations and fractures associated with movement on slippery tree roots and dead wood.
• Allergy. Often occurs when consuming foods plant origin and inhalation of plant pollen. Allergy sufferers can experience both mild discomfort (skin irritation, sneezing) and severe, life-threatening consequences of contact with an allergen (anaphylactic shock).
• Worsening of health from the smell of the plant. Some dangerous plants with a strong odor (white lilies, wild rosemary) can cause headaches, nausea and other symptoms of illness. Most often, this is all that is limited to this, but for a person in an emergency situation, even such an ailment in combination with other factors can be life-threatening.

Fields of blooming yucca in Georgia, on the border of the Vashlovani Nature Reserve. The inspectors here work with shortened shifts, since they cannot stay near such a field for more than a week.

There are also dangers indirectly associated with plants. These include:

• Falling branches or entire trees onto people or shelter. A falling branch or tree can injure a person and, in some cases, take their life.
• A fire associated with the ignition of dry vegetation is very dangerous not only for trees, but also for forest animals and humans. The speed at which the fire spreads can be so high that it will be impossible to escape without transport.
• Inability to get out of the “green maze” and find your way due to lack of landmarks. The undergrowth and thorny bushes of various plants can create a kind of labyrinth in the forest, from which it will not be easy for a traveler to get out. The result is a loss of time, effort and provisions (mainly water, the reserves of which are strategic in wilderness conditions).
• Drowning due to tree branches located under water. In this case, the fallen tree can represent a kind of sieve, allowing water to pass through, but retaining large objects that the river carries. Once caught in such a “sieve,” a person may not be able to get out from under the water, which will lead to drowning.
• Electrical shock while under a tall tree during a thunderstorm. Lightning striking a tree can kill a person or group of people underneath it.
• Hypothermia in winter, if it falls from tree branches onto a fire large mass snow and extinguishes it. This is possible when lighting a fire in a winter forest under a spruce tree with snow on its branches. Failure to re-light a fire can lead to hypothermia and death.
• A sudden meeting and attack of wild animals located in thickets of plants and therefore not noticed in advance. Such animals include both stinging and blood-sucking arthropods (ticks, wasps) and large mammals. For example, in the taiga, in dense thickets of spruce or willow forests, you can accidentally come very close to a feeding bear, including a mother bear with cubs. And in the middle and southern zone, in the reed thickets, you can stumble upon a resting herd of wild boars, in which a boar can attack, protecting the piglets.

Such encounters in the forest are almost always unexpected, and the behavior of the animal is difficult to predict.

Not all dangers associated with plants are listed here. However, this list makes it clear that these dangers are numerous and varied, and are not at all harmless, as it might seem at first glance.

The most current and significant dangers from plants need to be considered in more detail.

Dangerous poisonous plants

Most often, when talking about the toxicity of a plant, they mean that it poses a danger when consumed with food.

Poisonous plants vary in their danger to humans. If with some plants you can fill your stomach and everything will end in the worst case with nausea and diarrhea, then in the case of others, even a small dose can be fatal.

The most dangerous poisonous plants of the former CIS countries include:

The whole plant, but especially the roots of hellebore, is very poisonous.

• Buttercup is poisonous;
• Hemlock spotted;
• Veh is poisonous;
• Black henbane;
• Belladonna;
• Aconite;
• Hellebore, growing in southern regions, including in the Krasnodar Territory, in the south of Ukraine, in Crimea, in Southern Europe;
• Different types of dope.

All of these plants can cause coma and even death. Some of them, for example, spotted hemlock and Indian datura, are found in large numbers in cities and villages, on roadsides and flower beds.

The danger of dope and henbane lies not only in the deterioration of health, but also in the occurrence of hallucinations, which in turn can lead to injury if uncontrolled behavior occurs.

Many ornamental plants, grown in flower beds and on windowsills, are also dangerous to humans. Among them, the most common are ficus, dieffenbachia, lilies, spurge, monstera, oleander and others. Some of them pose a danger not only when they enter the gastrointestinal tract, but also when human skin comes into contact with their juice. In the latter case, itching, dermatitis and burns may occur.

Not all parts of some plants are poisonous. For example, black locust is itself poisonous, but the flowers of black locust are edible and tasty.

On a note

Robinia false locust is often called white locust, which is botanically incorrect.

Another example is the well-known potato. Its tubers are edible and traditionally used as food, but the tops and fruits are poisonous.

Green potato tubers can also pose a danger to humans. They also contain solanine. For the same reason, unripe fruits of other nightshades - tomatoes and eggplants - are also poisonous.

Unripe barberry berries can also cause poisoning.

These examples demonstrate the blurred and not always distinguishable line between edible and poisonous plants.

The poison of some plants can be removed by soaking and heat treatment. Thus, the roots of the egg capsule themselves are bitter and poisonous, but soaking for several days followed by baking makes them edible, which is what our ancestors used in times of famine.

It is worth noting that often (but not always) poisonous plants are very bitter and unpleasant to the taste, so it is almost impossible to be poisoned by them while being of sound mind.

Nevertheless, Les Stroud, a Canadian survival expert, in one of the episodes of his video project “Science of Survival,” was poisoned by the bitter roots of the egg capsule, because he did not know about their toxicity and tried to make up for the lack of calories through carbohydrates from the roots of this plant.

The roots of the egg capsule are juicy and a hungry person can readily try to eat them. Not only poisonous, but also some edible plants

may cause health problems if consumed in excess. For example, consuming large quantities of bitter almonds can lead to hydrocyanic acid poisoning. Other edible plants may be contraindicated for people with existing health problems. Thus, the use of stinging nettle, which was very popular in the past in first courses, is not recommended for people prone to thrombosis. The fact is that vitamin K, contained in large quantities in this plant

It is also worth understanding that food that is safe for some animals can be poisonous for others, and in particular for humans, and vice versa. For example, chocolate, which is safe for humans, can kill a dog due to its theobromine content, and red fly agaric - a favorite food of squirrels, bears and some ungulates - is dangerous for humans.

Therefore, you should not focus on the food preferences of other animals and try to eat what they eat.

Not a plant, but worthy of mention is the microscopic algae Karenia brevis, which turns sea water red. This algae produces brevetoxin, which can kill humans. The problem is that during blooms of this algae, marine life - fish and shellfish - accumulate this toxin and themselves become poisonous. Further eating of these animals can lead to death.

Red water tides on the Mexican coast

This toxin is so poisonous that a person can develop health problems just because they have breathed wind blowing from the sea with a large amount of such algae in the water.

Dangerous plants that can cause burns

Some dangerous plants can cause burns, sometimes very serious, if they come into contact with the skin. Thus, nettle has small silicon needles with formic acid on its leaves and stem. When the skin comes into contact with this plant, the needles break off, remaining in the skin, and facilitate the penetration of acid under the skin. Blisters form at the site of contact, and the person himself experiences a burning sensation in this place.

However, Sosnowski's hogweed is most famous for the burns it leaves. Its juice, when it comes into contact with human skin, does not in itself damage it, but increases sensitivity to sunlight. Thus, after contact with hogweed, even a short stay in the sun causes severe burns. In this case, huge blisters appear on the body, and burn scars in the form dark spots may persist for several years.

A burn on the body of a worker who fell bare-chested into a thicket of hogweed.

Plants that can cause injuries, cuts and scrapes

Trees, bushes, and even short grass can cause a variety of injuries.

Thus, wet roots of trees along which a person walks often lead to falls and associated dislocations, abrasions and even fractures. Fractures and dislocations can leave a person temporarily incapacitated, lead to shock or fatal loss of blood (with open fractures), and abrasions can lead to blood poisoning.

The thorns of many shrubs can not only reduce the speed of a person’s movement, rendering clothing and equipment unusable, but also damage the skin, leaving splinters and deep wounds in it. Such injuries are primarily dangerous due to blood poisoning.

Grass can reduce the grip of shoe soles on the ground. On a steep grassy slope you can easily slip and, for example, fall into a ravine.

In the south of Europe, also in Ukraine, a small annual herb called Tribulus creeping grows. Its inconspicuous fruits can pierce with their thorns not only the leg of a person left without shoes, but even bicycle tires with the ensuing troubles.

Tribulus shoots with seeds.

Allergies to various plants and their dangers

Plants can pose a number of other dangers to humans. For example, in summer period We often hear complaints from people who are allergic to pollen and plant fluff. Allergy sufferers often suffer from ragweed and poplar.

This is interesting

Poplar is a dioecious plant, meaning it has male and female specimens. Poplar fluff is produced exclusively by female specimens of this plant.

If you have a severe allergy during poplar flowering, a person may completely lose their ability to work.

Allergies can also occur when eating certain plants. Plants with red fruit often have this effect. That is why allergy sufferers are advised to exclude tomatoes and red apples from their diet.

The danger of allergies for a person in an emergency situation should not be underestimated. Its negative effects can either be cumulative with other factors or intensify them, worsening the situation of the victim. For example, bad feeling will reduce the efficiency of the work performed and lead to an increase in the number of errors, including critical ones in an extreme situation.

In some cases, an extreme degree of allergy is possible - anaphylactic shock, requiring urgent medical intervention, without which a person can die in a matter of minutes. This reaction rarely occurs from inhalation of allergenic pollen, but can be a response to contact with the plant, such as walking through bushes or sleeping on grass.

Plants with dangerous odors

Other plants, such as wild rosemary and white lily, can cause headaches with their smell and make even people feel worse. healthy people. This is even more critical for an injured or weakened person.

During one of our hikes in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, we picked wild rosemary in the forest, put it in our backpacks and left it in the tent. Already on the very first night, one of the three participants in the hike complained of a headache caused by the strong smell of this plant.

Ledum flowers releasing strong-smelling compounds into the air.

Emergency trees and their danger

Emergency trees pose a particular danger, so an experienced tourist, familiar with the safety rules and setting up a bivouac, never sets up camp under the dry branches of large trees.

A tree that fell on sleeping area in a tent. By a lucky coincidence, no one was injured - people were on the street during the fall.

The fact is that strong wind or rain can lead to breaking branches or the collapse of the tree itself. This, in turn, is fraught with serious injuries, including those incompatible with life. Among other things, a tree or its parts falling on a tent can deprive a person of shelter. And a good shelter is one of the primary things for survival, since it protects from precipitation, wind and arthropods (mosquitoes, midges, ticks, spiders).

Fire hazard of dry grass, bark, pine needles and foliage

The presence of dry trees, grass and bushes can cause a fire. To do this, it is not necessary to light fires; it is enough to simply throw a smoldering cigarette butt or match without extinguishing the fire.

Even a water bottle left in the sun can cause dry grass to catch fire. The concave walls of a bottle filled with water represent a kind of lens that concentrates the sun's rays at one point. The temperature at this point may be sufficient to ignite the tinder, followed by the grass.

Sometimes a fire can be caused by lightning striking a dry tree.

In the event of a fire, there is a danger of suffocation from smoke or burning alive in the flames. Moreover, the speed of fire spread in strong winds can reach 70 km/h, which is approximately 2 times the speed of the fastest runner in the world.

Risk of getting lost in dense thickets

A dense forest, and especially the undergrowth typical of mixed forests, can become an impenetrable wall for a person trying to reach people. In addition, a forest with tall trees may make it difficult to see landmarks to determine your location.

Hunting trail in the forest in Borneo. The plants themselves do not pose a danger here, but a large number of them deprives a person of the ability to navigate.

A lost person can waste a lot of time and energy, but still not reach civilization. The further fate of the victim depends on many factors - air temperature, humidity, precipitation, availability of sources of drinking water, preparedness for such situations, health status, and so on. This is especially dangerous in tall forests or extensive reed thickets.

Tree trunks in the river bed

Trees located in the bed of a fast-flowing river can pose a serious danger to a person caught in the water.

Firstly, such trees form natural obstacles, around which the current creates whirlpools that are dangerous to life.

Secondly, if a person gets caught in the current under the trunk of a tree lying in a river, a person does not always have a chance to get out: the branches will not allow the tree to float under water, and the current of the river will not allow him to emerge back up.

Thirdly, a rope attached to a tourist trying to pull a river crossing can get caught on a tree lying on the water. In this case, when a tourist is carried away by the current, the taut rope together with the water pressure can pull the person under the water.

And finally, when swimming, you can simply run into the branch of a tree lying under water.

Danger of lightning strikes under tall trees

In cloudy weather, a person sheltering from the rain under a large tree may be electrocuted.

The fact is that lightning, which is an electric discharge with a voltage of tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of volts, more often strikes tall objects, which include large trees. Finding himself next to such a tree, a person also receives, if not all, but still sufficient to cause harm to health. The situation is worsened by the tree trunk and soil wet from rain, since they are good conductors of electric current.

A very rare photo of lightning striking a tree.

On a note

Interestingly, according to statistics, four out of five people who are struck by lightning survive.

Tree branches with snow, posing a threat to the fire

In a winter snow-covered forest, a person who does not have tourism and survival skills can try to light a fire under spruce branches, which create a false sense of comfort.

The warm air rising from the fire melts the snow lying on the spruce branches hanging over the fireplace. Such snow can fall into the fire at any moment, extinguishing it, wetting the wood and leaving a person without the opportunity to warm up. Without a fire, a warm sleeping bag or a snow shelter, a person in a winter forest can die within a few hours.

Most of the dangers mentioned in the article may seem far-fetched to the reader, but in survival conditions, when the human body is weakened by stress, malnutrition, lack of sleep, work on setting up a bivouac or long travel, they, together with other factors, can become fatal.

When people think of plants, they usually think of ordinary trees, flowers and bushes that are found everywhere. Many people don’t even realize that there are predator plants in the world that can kill anything that comes close to them. Let's get acquainted with some sinister representatives of the flora. Among them are deadly poisonous plants.

Venus flytrap

When people imagine dangerous plants, they usually immediately think of this flower, and for good reason. These frightening plants, common in some states of America, wait for prey with their jagged petals open. As soon as the insect falls into the trap, the flytrap slams shut and produces enzymes that can dissolve not only the fly, but also human flesh. The digestion process takes about ten days. People are lucky that these plants are not gigantic and do not pose a serious danger to anything larger than an insect.

Nepenthes Attenborough

Discovered in 2000, this plant poses a greater threat than many others. Most plant predators are limited to insects and spiders, but even rodents can get into the Nepenthes water lily. Water accumulates in the plant during rain, and when the rodent is about to drink, the valves collapse and the animal is trapped, after which the plant slowly digests its victim.

Dendrocnide excelsa

This poisonous plant looks quite harmless, which makes it especially dangerous. It is common in Australia and has a burning poison that can kill dogs and horses. People who have experienced contact with the plant describe it as a combination of electric shock and acid burn. The pain is so excruciating that one victim shot himself to avoid suffering from it.

Voronets thick-legged

This plant resembles a monster from a Japanese horror film, but it grows everywhere. It is a tall red stem with many large berries, each of which is so poisonous that it can kill a person. If a person were to eat the berry, they would experience hallucinations, dizziness and heart palpitations, which could be fatal. Interestingly, the poison does not affect birds.

Cape sundew

Sundews resemble something between a plant and an octopus. They hunt insects. When a butterfly lands on a leaf covered in sticky tentacles, the plant wraps itself around it and digests it.

Chilibukha

This plant is nicknamed vomit nut. It contains two poisons at once. The first is strychnine, used as a pesticide. It is contained in fruits, so protecting yourself is quite simple - you need not eat them. Another poison, brucine, is contained in the bark, and is more dangerous, since the tree is similar to trees of other species, the bark of which can be eaten. A person poisoned by brucine will suffer from severe intestinal distress.

Hellebore black

This plant looks harmless, but poses a serious danger. If a person eats it, he will receive serious burns to the throat, mouth and eyes, gastroenteritis and bloody vomiting.

There are dangerous plants in the world that, thanks to evolution, have created many means of protection against animals, insects and people. Some of them produce deadly neurotoxins, others are protected by sharp spines, and others secrete powerful digestive enzymes that can digest insects and small rodents. Let's talk about the most dangerous and seemingly harmless-looking plants.

Nepenthes Attenborough

Nepenthes Attenborough - gigantic carnivorous plant, named after one of the world's most famous naturalists, Sir David Frederick Attenborough.

It was discovered at an altitude of over 1.5 km above sea level on Mount Victoria on the island of Palawan (Philippines). The plant's pitcher secretes nectar to lure unsuspecting victims into a pool of enzymes and acid. Multiple sticky ridges on the surface of the jug reduce the prey's chances of escape to a minimum. The diameter of the jug is about 30 cm, which allows it to feast on not only insects, but also larger prey - rodents and other small animals.

Castor bean

Castor bean is a plant that almost anyone can purchase at any garden store, but its seeds contain the deadly poison ricin. The consequences of this poison entering the human body can be disastrous, even fatal. Therefore, we advise you to think carefully before planting castor beans in your garden, especially if you have small children.

Veh poisonous, Hemlock

Voh poisonous or Hemlock is a toxic plant common in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. Hemlock contains cicutoxin, which affects the central nervous system, causing epileptic seizures, abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of consciousness, muscle spasms and ultimately death.

Wrinkled sapling

Wrinkled sapling - perennial. Each part contains tremetol, or unsaturated alcohol, which causes muscle tremors and can kill a person. Poskonnik deserves special danger also because cows sometimes like to feast on it. This was the cause of the death of Nancy Hanks, the mother of American President Abram Lincoln, who drank the milk of a cow that had tasted such an insidious plant.

Wolfsbane

Aconite capulata - perennial, decorative, garden plant. All its parts contain the deadly neurotoxin aconitine, which easily penetrates the body through the skin, has a convulsive-paralytic effect and can lead to cardiac arrest. An antidote has not yet been found.

Pemphigus vulgare

The common bladderwort is an aquatic carnivorous plant that feeds on tadpoles, juveniles, insects and small crustaceans. It gets its name from its hunting style. There are many vacuum bubbles collected on the branches of the plant, once in which the victim is unable to escape. Over time, the prey dies, and the bladderwort gradually absorbs all the necessary nutrients from it.

Venus flytrap

The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that feeds mainly on insects, but sometimes slugs are found. The reaction speed (about half a second) would be the envy of many representatives of the animal kingdom. The mechanism for responding to the victim will also amaze any imagination. In order for the trap to work, the victim must touch two antennae in the flytrap sequentially and at intervals of about 20 seconds. If the hunt is successful, the Venus flytrap spends 10 days digesting. After which it opens and is ready to hunt again.

Brugmansia tree

Brugmansia tree, or Brugmansia arboreal - tropical plant, native to South America. They contain a cocktail of toxins such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Atropine and scopolamine have similar effects on the human brain. Large doses of these toxins can cause excessive motor and mental agitation, anxiety, hallucinations and seizures. Hyoscyamine, when exposed to the body, causes increased heart rate, dry mouth, vomiting, hyperthermia, blurred vision, eye pain, and in rare cases causes coma or death.

Common oleander

This common evergreen shrub is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. The leaves, flowers and fruits contain cardiac glycosides, which are used for therapeutic purposes, but this cute plant can just as easily become a deadly weapon that can stop the human heart.

Cnidoscolus narrow-toothed

Cnidoscolus narrow-toothed is a shrub from the Euphorbiaceae family. This thorny plant, rather painful than poisonous. Cnidoscolus narrow-toothed is studded with thousands of barbed wire-like needles, but real danger comes from milky juice, which causes severe painful irritation of the skin, and if it comes into contact with the mucous membrane of the eye, it can lead to long-term visual impairment.

Buttercup caustic

A well-known plant that we have been accustomed to calling since childhood “ night blindness" Despite its completely harmless appearance, this plant is deadly poisonous to animals and humans if accidentally ingested. And its juice, when flowers are picked, causes temporary severe skin irritation, so it is necessary to closely monitor children in places where caustic ranunculus grows.

Hogweed Sosnowski and Hogweed Mantegazzi

Hogweed Sosnovsky and Hogweed Mantegazzi, widely spread throughout Europe, are real monster plants. A simple contact with the skin of the juice of these large, attractive-looking umbrella plants, as under the influence of the process of photosensitization (increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight), long-term non-healing burns form on the skin. If the juice gets into the eyes, complete blindness occurs!

Daphne

Another famous plant, also called “ wolf's face" Common wolfberry grows in forests, and laurel wolfberry is used for decorative purposes. All parts of this pretty plant are very poisonous. And the red oval berries (which often attract children), if eaten just a few of them, lead to death within a few hours.

Sumac (lacquer tree)

Sumac (lacquer tree) grows in Japan and China, close relative mango tree. Despite this relationship, it is one of the most poisonous plants on Earth. Tree resin, even just getting on the skin, causes severe, deep, non-healing burns.

Strychnos poisonous

Poisonous strychnos grows in the forests of the Amazon, and everyone knows it because of its second name - curare. The sap from the bark of this tree is traditionally used by Indians for hunting - if it enters the bloodstream, the victim stops breathing and inevitably ends up dying.

manchineel tree

The manchineel tree can be found in Florida and the Caribbean. The fruits of this plant and its juice are deadly to humans. And when simple touch A severe allergy occurs to the bark of the tree, which in itself is very dangerous.