Knowing What's in Your Yard
North Florida's climate supports a wide range of plants, and some of the most common — including several that were planted ornamentally for decades — have toxic properties. This doesn't mean all these trees need to be removed, but if you have children or pets that spend time in the yard, knowing what you have matters.
Important note: This guide is informational, not medical advice. If a child or pet ingests part of any plant, contact Poison Control (1-800-222-1222 for people) or a veterinarian immediately.
Trees and Shrubs With Toxic Properties
Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)
Toxicity level: Significant. All parts are toxic, with the berries being the primary risk. Chinaberry berries (drupaceous fruits, yellow-green to yellow-tan) are toxic to humans, dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. Six to eight berries can be fatal to a child; doses required for adult toxicity are higher but still a concern.
Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, lowered heart rate, convulsions.
The problem: Chinaberry produces berries prolifically; they drop throughout fall and winter and remain on the ground. Dogs and children may pick up and eat fallen berries.
Recommendation for properties with children and pets: Strongly consider removal. The toxicity risk from accessible fallen fruit is real.
Yew (Taxus spp.)
Toxicity level: High. Nearly all parts except the red aril (the fleshy red fruit coat) are toxic — including the seed inside the red aril. Taxine alkaloids cause heart failure.
Note in North Florida: Yews are more common in formal landscapes; they're marginal in the hot Florida climate. But they do occur in older established landscapes. Know whether you have them.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Toxicity level: Very high. All parts — leaves, stems, flowers, sap — are toxic. One of the most toxic common landscape plants in the South. Even smoke from burning oleander is toxic.
In North Florida: Oleander is primarily a shrub or small tree in North Florida (not reliably hardy in hard winters). Common as a hedge or landscape plant throughout the region.
Symptoms: Cardiac arrhythmia, nausea, vomiting, potentially fatal.
Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
Toxicity level: Extremely high for dogs. All parts are toxic; the seeds are the most toxic, with a fatality rate in dogs even when treated. The toxin (cycasin) causes liver failure.
In North Florida: Sago palms are extremely common in Florida landscapes. This is one of the most important plants for dog owners to be aware of.
Any apparent ingestion of any part of a sago palm by a dog is a veterinary emergency.
Lantana (Lantana camara)
Toxicity level: Moderate. Unripe (green) berries are more toxic than ripe berries. More of a concern for children and animals that may eat unripe fruit.
In North Florida: Lantana is ubiquitous in Florida landscapes — commonly planted as a low-maintenance flowering perennial that behaves as a small shrub in zone 8b/9. The berries ripen from green to purple-black.
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
Toxicity level: Moderate to significant. Roots most toxic, seeds second, leaves less so. The berries, though attractive, contain toxic alkaloids.
Note: Pokeweed is a native perennial, not a tree — it dies back to the ground each winter and re-emerges from the root. It appears in disturbed areas, fence lines, and along property edges. Large established plants can get quite large and woody.
Trees That Are Often Mistakenly Considered Toxic
Persimmon: The fruit of native persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is edible and not toxic. Unripe persimmons are intensely astringent and unpleasant but not toxic.
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua): The spiny gumballs are a mechanical hazard (painful underfoot) but not toxic.
Wax myrtle berries: Not significantly toxic.
Holly berries (Ilex spp.): American holly and yaupon holly berries are mildly toxic — can cause vomiting in quantity — but are rarely ingested in dangerous amounts by children or pets.
What to Do
If you're unsure what plants are in your yard, identification is the first step. UF IFAS Extension's online resources and the Florida Native Plant Society both have identification guides. An arborist can also identify trees during an assessment.
For trees with significant toxicity (chinaberry especially), evaluate whether the risk level is appropriate for your household. Removal may be the right call for properties with young children or dogs with outdoor access.
Questions about trees in your yard? Call (850) 570-4074 or request a consultation online.