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Veratrum Plant — One More That Would be Useful to Knock off Characters.
Green Hellebore may cause hallucinations for the writer’s character, especially if they are a witch!
Hellebores are among the first to emerge from the snow and are, therefore, the stars of the late winter and early spring garden. They are also very colorful and have many textures.
Hellebores are in the Ranunculus or buttercup family. These little beauties are often found in the mountains and on stony clay soil. While they like moist soil, once established, they are drought-resistant.
Most species of this genus originated in Europe and Asia, especially in the Balkans. All Helleborus plants are toxic, and all parts of them are poisonous.
Toxic Dose
Serious Hellebore poisoning is rare, but it does occur. Animals like deer and rabbits do not eat them because the leaves contain bitter, poisonous alkaloids.
Hellebore are toxic when handled and can cause contact dermatitis. Gardening without gloves can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Ingesting large quantities of Hellebore could be fatal, but due to the burning of the throat and mouth, we don’t see that much ingested.
