Deadly Nightshade

 Deadly nightshade, also called Atropa belladonna, is super poisonous and one of the most dangerous plants around.

• Where it lives: You can find this scary plant in places like Britain, North Africa, Western Asia, and even parts of the US and Canada.
• Tomato Family Relative: Believe it or not, this deadly plant is related to your favorite vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant!
• Deadly and Useful: Even though it can kill you, nightshade has been used in medicine for a long time.
• Looks Scary: Imagine a plant up to 5 feet tall with dark green leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers. That’s nightshade!
• Deadly Poison: This plant makes a toxin that messes with your brain and causes your muscles to stop working properly.
• Watch Out for Symptoms: If you eat nightshade, you might get a headache, your eyes will get really big, you won’t be able to see well, and you’ll feel confused.
• A Few Berries Can Kill: Just a couple of nightshade berries can kill a young child, and adults need 10-20 to be in danger.

Since ancient times, people have used plants as a source of food and a remedy for illnesses. Besides those some plants can be lethal to consume. Like other living things, plants also have natural defences that assist protect them from all the harmful predators that might try to eat them. Some plants contain the deadliest compounds that, when consumed, can cause us to get severely unwell or even die, in addition to stinging spikes and thorns.

Deadliest plants have caused human deaths throughout history, including in 399 BCE, Socrates‘ death from a poison hemlock and babies’ unintentional use of lethal nightshade. Plants have evolved a variety of cunning defenses against their enemies. Unfortunately, a few of these chemical defenses can hurt people by irritating their skin. Some of the variety of plants may appear to be dangerous, but some of them contain some of the worst toxins ever discovered and they also have deadly flowers.