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What About Plants In & Around My House?

1. Mild toxicity. If ingested in small amounts, these plants will probably not cause any toxic symptoms. Symptoms are usually limited to mild throat irritation, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

2. Irritants. These plants contain calcium oxalate crystals, which may cause an intense stinging or burning sensation if ingested or upon skin contact. These symptoms usually will resolve with time. Treatment consists of giving fluids to drink if ingested or thorough washing with skin contact. Large ingestions can result in swelling of the throat and mouth which can potentially result in problems breathing.

3. Dermatitis. Handling these plants (especially in sensitive individuals) can cause skin irritation and rash. The juice and sap of these plants are very irritating and can cause pain if allowed to penetrate cuts or wounds.

4. Major Toxicity. Ingestion of these plants can result in severe toxic reactions and injury to major organs like the heart, kidney, liver and nervous system. They can also result in other life threatening symptoms like seizures or hallucinations. Although these effects are usually seen with large ingestions of plant material, consuming small amounts should also be considered potentially dangerous.

5. Possibly Toxic. Information on the toxicity of these plants is limited or not well documented. Ingestion of small amounts of plant material is not considered to be a high risk for toxicity.

6. Toxic to Animals. These plants known to be toxic to animals.

For further information on any of the plants listed below, contact the poison information center. If you cannot identify a particular plant, take it to the nearest nursery for assistance in identification.

General Guidelines

• Never eat any part of an unknown plant or mushroom, even if cooked. Teach children never to put leaves, stems, bark, seeds, nuts, or berries from any plant into their mouths.
• Teach children to recognize poison ivy, oak and sumac.
• Keep seeds and bulbs away from children and cooking or food storage areas.  Label and store them out of sight and reach of children.
• Do not eat wild plants (even if cooked).
• Identify and keep all poisonous house plants out of reach of young children.
• Do not assume a plant is safe to eat because a bird or other wildlife has eaten it.
• Do not rely on cooking to destroy toxic chemicals in plants. Never use anything prepared from nature as a medicine or "tea".
• Keep weed and bug killers in their original containers with proper labels. NEVER put them into bottles, cups or bowls where they could be mistaken for food or drink. Always read the instructions carefully before using.
• Wash thoroughly after using pesticides and herbicides. ALL chemicals should be locked up and stored out of children's reach. Carefully rinse all containers before throwing them away.
• Avoid smoke from burning plants.
• Remember...there are no good "rules of thumb" for distinguishing edible from poisonous plants.

                                  

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