Poisonous Plants in New Zealand
Two free handouts are available from this page. In all cases the information is copyright to Landcare Research. You may print them out, and distribute them freely, as long as the copyright statement included is left intact and no fee is charged for the information. A poster is also available.
Plants in New Zealand Poisonous to Children
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(670KB)
Safety in pre-school centres: plants to avoid
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Please note: Plants in New Zealand Poisonous to Children replaces the two previously available handouts for the North Island and South Island. The handout is all in one now. Please dispose of your old copies and use this new one.
Warning
If a child is displaying serious symptoms of poisoning, treat as an emergency and dial 111 for an ambulance.
Otherwise, if you suspect a child has ingested parts of a poisonous plant immediately contact the National Poisons and Hazardous Chemical Information Centre Urgent Phoneline 24 hours a day seven days a week on
0800 POISON / 0800 764 766
(For nonurgent information, Ph. 03-479 1200 between 9am
and 5pm week days only or E-mail: poisons@otago.ac.nz ).
Further information:
- Poisonous Plants Poster
- Colour, laminated poster, depicting some of the more common poisonous plants within New Zealand. Comes with a free copy of the Poisonous Plants handouts. $15.00 [+ shipping]
- Available from: Manaaki Whenua Press
Plant Identification
These lists of poisonous and non-poisonous plants are meant to be used solely as a guide to their actual or possible toxicity. Thus they are not intended to be a manual for identification because there are no illustrations or detailed descriptions.
The brief notes about many of the plants listed are just for confirming the identity of those mostly common well-known plants. Further information can be obtained for nearly all these species mentioned by consulting the Flora of New Zealand series: volumes I to V.
Banned Plants
The lists do not contain any statements about weediness although amongst both the poisonous and non-poisonous plants mentioned there are a number of invasive species for which sale and distribution is restricted (or forbidden). Be that as it may, the criterion for inclusion is the belief that children are likely to or may well be tempted to have contact in some form (internally or externally) with these plants. The lists have been compiled as a result of researching New Zealand and overseas literature on poisonous plants, as well as from observations provided by many people. For those wanting more information about weediness status the following websites may be helpful:
Sites with lists of weeds
Sites with weed warnings and information
For more information contact your local regional council or find their website at
Disclaimer of Liability for Health-Related Advice
This information is not intended to be comprehensive or to provide medical advice to you. While all care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, no responsibility is accepted for any actions taken in reliance on it. Specific advice on medical issues should be sought from a health professional.