We don't normally think of plants as particularly scary organisms.
But this rather entertaining Reddit thread will immediately make you rethink that assumption.
"Botanists of reddit, what are the scariest plants in the world?"user Zipzapadam asked. And, boy, did Reddit deliver.
We're not talking about common poison ivy or run-of-the-mill carnivorous plants. Some of these plants could actually kill you.
As one redditor put it, "This post just makes me want to stay indoors and hide from plants."
You probably will, too. Here are 9 terrifying plants to stay away from.
Aconitum napellus, "Monkshood,""Wolfsbane"
It looks beautiful and harmless, but all parts of the Monkshood plant are poisonous.
In ancient times, people would use it on arrow tips and as bait to kill wolves, which is why it's also called Wolfsbane.
A 33-year-old gardener allegedly died after touching (or possibly eating) the plant in 2014, the BBC reported.
Monkshood can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and numbness if it's eaten.
Ricinus communis, "Castor Bean"
Castor beans are high in ricin, the effects of which can escalate quickly.
Symptoms of ingestion can "include stomach irritation, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, profuse sweating, collapse, convulsions, and death within a few days," Union County College biology professor Tom Ombrello writes.
Redditor Rabzozo said their boss spent a week in the hospital after inhaling the smoke from burning his yard that happened to contain castor plants. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that "unintentional exposure to ricin is highly unlikely, except through the ingestion of castor beans."
Don't eat them.
Cicuta, "Water Hemlock"
Water hemlock looks a lot like Queen Anne's Lace, another plant with small white flowers.
To tell the difference, Queen Anne's Lace has a single red blossom at the heart of its bunch of white flowers.
Water hemlock is one of the most common poisonous plants throughout the US and UK.
If you eat it, the plant can cause seizures that may lead to death.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider