Have you ever walked past your garden and wondered what that strange looking plant is? Well, if you’re not sure what it is, you might want to take a closer look as it might be dangerous. This list describes some of the most common plants grown in gardens that owners aren’t aware have potentially serious side effects, as many people know all too well.  Let’s take a look at those that might be growing in your backyard. 

1. Sage of the Diviners

Salvia divinorum is a member of the mint family and it looks exactly like its relatives. Unfortunately, you can’t use it in the same way as its cousins because if you ingest this plant, you’ll have a lot more to worry about than the mojito it came with. Sage of the diviners is traditionally used by the Mazatec people who believe that the plant is an incarnation of none other than the Virgin Mary. Chewing the plant is associated with the onset of seeing and hearing things, tingling and loss of self-awareness. It can also cause dysphoria and some report having a deep connection with nature during an episode. Oddly enough, these plants are legal in many places, including some American states. 

2. Nutmeg

Nutmeg is one of the most commonly used spices and can be found in everything from pies and French toast to all things involving pumpkin spice. The point of this is to say that it is so common that you don’t have to grow it to get it. A little-known fact is that in large doses, nutmeg has mind-altering effects that can last as long as two days. 30-minutes into it, nausea, and vomiting sets in and it can lead to some serious heart problems. A few years ago, a man and his wife were sent to the emergency room after experiencing these serious effects. He added a third of a jar of nutmeg to a pasta dish he prepared for a date night. 

3. Shrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms, also called shrooms, is best remembered for its popularity throughout the 1970s but the truth is that it has been used for over 70 centuries, mostly for religious ceremonies. The first report of a shroom incident was in 1799 when some children were accidentally given the fungi. Shroom trips commonly include feeling in a dream-like state of calm and peacefulness. There are however cases when it’s not all serenity. One man ate a mushroom pizza as he was about to embark on a backpacking trip, but he was actually locked in a hut for six hours believing that he was dead.

4. Opium Poppy

Opium comes from the seeds of the opium poppy and is commonly used to create medical compounds like morphine. As you might have guessed, it is illegal to own such substances, but it is not illegal to grow the plant. Opium suppresses anxiety as well as physical discomfort and those are some of the reasons why it is so highly controlled. Frequent use causes memory loss, insomnia, and erraticism. Long-term use often leads to cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease which could ultimately be fatal. 

5. Hell’s Bells

Jimsonweed, also known by its friendlier name Hell’s Bells, is a plant that grows all across North America and has been used for thousands of years. The plant has hallucinogenic properties that have been exploited for a long time, especially in various remedies. There is cause for caution, if a “trip” goes beyond one or two days, it can cause blindness, paranoia and even heart attacks. Despite its safety concerns, it is used to treat influenza, asthma, and different nerve diseases.