2023's deadliest garden plant - watch out, it's popular in the US

Scientists from the Botanical Garden in Hamburg choose the most poisonous plant annually. The goal is simple: to raise awareness about plant toxicity in home gardens. This year's infamous winner is a frequent guest in American gardens.

Fruit and vegetable plots, perfectly trimmed hedges, mini orchards, rows of flowers, and blooming shrubs. For many plant enthusiasts, gardens are a source of pride and a place to unwind after a full day of work. Although not everyone loves digging in the beds, seeing a lushly planted garden lifts everyone's spirits. However, not all hobby gardeners know what plants they are growing.

Scientists from the Botanical Garden in Hamburg compete yearly to select the world's most toxic plant. The researchers aim to increase awareness of the risks of seemingly harmless plants in our gardens.

To everyone's surprise, in 2023, parsley was named the most poisonous plant in the world. This year, the choice fell on wisteria, also known as glycine or sweet pea. This distinctive shrub with beautiful, hanging purple flowers and a mesmerizing scent originates from the Far East, although it also grows in nature in South America. In the US, wisteria is planted in gardens because of its beauty.

Why did wisteria win the title of the most toxic plant? Scientists inform us that wisteria contains harmful substances such as lectins, wisterin, and poisonous resin. Toxins are found in all plant parts, from flowers to leaves, bark, pods, seeds, and roots. What can happen if wisteria is ingested? Poisoning can manifest as abdominal pain, vomiting, dilated pupils, diarrhea, insomnia, circulatory disorders, and even collapse. Wisteria is also toxic to pets.