A water dropwort is a highly poisonous plant. If it kills you, it can cause you to smile after you die. This is called a sardonic grin.
100 Mind-Blowing Poisonous Facts
Europeans were scared of eating tomatoes when they were introduced. Scholars think Hernán Cortés brought the seeds in 1519 with the intent of the fruits being used ornamentally in gardens. By the 1700s, aristocrats started eating tomatoes, but they were convinced the fruits were poisonous because people would die after eating them. In reality, the acidity from the tomatoes brought out the lead in their pewter plates, and they died of lead poisoning.
Some sea cucumbers fight with their guts (literally). When threatened, they’ll shoot out their internal organs, which are poisonous to predators. They’ll sometimes get rid of their entire digestive systems—but the organs grow back.
Apple seeds contain cyanide. If you chew or digest them, these seeds turn into hydrogen cyanide which is poisonous to humans. The same goes for apricot, cherry, and peach seeds.
Nicotine is poisonous to insects. The tobacco plant has a power neurotoxin that is dangerous for insects. While many other plants also have this, the concentration of nicotine in the tobacco plant is much higher than any other.
Nutmeg can be poisonous. Who doesn’t love a little nutmeg in their hot chocolate? It may seem unlikely, but in certain amounts, nutmeg can be fatal to humans. Compared to other plants and herbs, nutmeg contains higher amounts of a narcotic substance called myristicin. Consuming more than 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg at once can cause side effects such as wild hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and a syncopated heartbeat. In large amounts, it can also lead to organ failure.
The snow in The Wizard of Oz is asbestos. The famous poppy-field scene in The Wizard of Oz is blanketed by calming snow. However, it wasn’t so calming behind the scenes. The material they used for the fake snow was poisonous asbestos.