Nothing is more beautiful than a house full of perfectly manicured, well cared for plants.  That is unless those seemingly inoffensive pieces of foliage are in all actuality extremely poisonous and could seriously harm your children and pets.  Before you shop for next spring’s crop, here is a list of common dangerous house plants that should be avoided if you are the parent of a small child or a pet owner.

Devil’s Trumpet.  Also known as Angel’s Trumpet, Jimson weed, or Devil’s Weed; Devil’s Trumpet is a beautiful flowering plant.  This particular species is very attractive because it is so pleasing to the eye and easy to grow.  Devil’s Trumpet is also one of the main ingredients in a traditional "love potion".  Unfortunately, this entire plant contains the chemicals atropine, hyoscyamine, and hyoscine.  All are poisonous and atropine has been used in higher doses to commit suicide and murder.  Children are especially vulnerable to these chemical’s side effects, which include coma, elevated temperature, hallucination, and drowsiness.

Amaryllis.  No I’m not talking about the precocious little girl in "The Music Man".  The bulb of the Amaryllis, which is also known as the Jersey lily, contains lycorine.  This chemical is very toxic to children in small doses.  Ingestion of this bulb will result in nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.  Don’t shy away from these gorgeous flowers if you have a house filled with adults.  The Amaryllis can easily be forced into bloom during the winter, and can result in some pretty spectacular displays against the snowy backdrop.

Azalea.  This miniature member of the Rhododendron family is relatively low on the danger scale, but should be mentioned due to its availability and beauty.  Azaleas are lovely plants whose bright colors can be very attractive to little hands and curious paws.  All parts of this flowering plant are poisonous, though once again your child would have to ingest copious amounts of this plant to become seriously ill.

Hydrangea.  I saved this plant for last in this list for very personal reasons.  Growing up my father owned two very large green houses and one of his favorites were blue hydrangeas.  I developed contact dermatitis from merely touching the bulbs and petals of this flower.  If eaten, a person can become very ill with symptoms including diarrhea, nausea, lethargy, labored breathing, and coma. 

With the Christmas season fast approaching, many stores will have beautifully adorned pots of Poinsettias available for purchase.  There is a lot of information out there about the poisonous attributes of this plant, and although some are true, most have been greatly exaggerated. There was a report of a child dying in Hawaii from eating the leaves and flowers of the Poinsettia, but nothing was ever proven.  It is still dangerous, and can cause vomiting if a child ingests this plant, but the Poinsettia is no longer considered extremely toxic.