Potted plants delight the eye, smell beautifully and make your neighbors envious - but did you know that they can burn you, injure you and even kill you? Which plants grown at home are poisonous and what are the symptoms of poisoning? It is worth knowing this before you bring another beautiful specimen from the florist's shop.
Poisonous houseplantscan be found in almost every home. What's worse, some owners, deceived by their charm, do not even know that they should be careful when taking care of them and not let both children and animals come into contact with them.
The properties of plants - both healing and poisonous - have been known and used for centuries: the fact that plants not only heal, but can also harm and even kill were noticed especially by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who they used plant poisons not only for political murders, but also to get rid of an unpopular relative or a grumpy spouse.
Over the years, people have learned to recognize poisonous plants - and to exclude them from their immediate surroundings. Plants such as monkshood, almost nobody grows in their home garden anymore, and if they do, then usually unconsciously.
Still at home, on flower beds, stands and window sills, we have a number of flowers and plants that, with a little carelessness, can harm both household members and four-legged pets.
Why are plants poisonous?
Plants - their stems, leaves, flowers and fruits - contain a number of compounds that help them survive in their natural environment and prolong their species, because they scare animals away, and if necessary, they injure or even kill them.
Poisonous plants also affect the human body: affected plants can burn, irritate the skin, injure it with invisible but annoying needles that stick into the epidermis so that it is impossible to quickly remove or even locate them.
They can also lead to swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.
Juice that flows from a damaged plant, even accidentally, can cause swelling and pain in the skin, mucosa, or conjunctivitis. Such plants can also lead to more serious situations, e.g. cause respiratory disorders.
Finally - they can also kill: an example can be, for example, purple foxglove, which currently hardly anyone grows onon its own, as it contains substances that can lead to a slow heart rate, nausea, muscle paralysis and eventually cardiac arrest and death.
Poisonous potted plants - window sill killers
Poisonous plants can be found in meadows, fields, in forests - and, unfortunately, also on our own windowsill. In the vast majority of cases, these are flowers that do not kill, but can cause various unpleasant he alth ailments.
The group of poisonous domestic plants also includes those that are very popular in Poland - such as:
- star of Bethlehem
- ficus
- dracena
- tulip
- oleander
Plants from the picture family, including diffenbachia, philodendron or monstera, and nightshade - especially annual peppers, can harm us. It's also better to be careful when bringing home a perennial, daffodil or amaryllis.
Poisonous houseplants: who are they harmful to?
The fact that one of the house plants turns out to be poisonous does not mean that it must be removed immediately. However, be careful when touching it, trimming it, or overdoing it.
If there are small children and animals in the house, the plant must be out of their reach - you never know when your toddler (or pet) will come up with the idea of taking or biting a tempting flower or a cheerfully dangling leaf.
Then it is not difficult for a tragedy. Cats, which like to climb, jump, and which are difficult to protect against, are particularly vulnerable to poisoning. Then, for the sake of your pet, it's best to just get rid of such a plant.
Poisonous houseplants: symptoms of poisoning
The symptoms of poisoning one of the poisonous domestic plants depends both on the plant and on the way in which the contact with what is most poisonous in it is made.
It may happen that disturbing symptoms, such as irritation, itching or a rash, are triggered just by touching a leaf or a plant stem.
Biting the leaf can burn the mucous membranes of the mouth and cause swelling of the throat, as well as the associated breathing disorders.
Juice that splashes onto the eye area or the ethereal substances from the broken stem may lead to redness and irritation of the eyelids and conjunctivitis.
The symptoms of poisoning caused by poisonous house plants can also include stomach problems, especially diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, as well as a number of other ailments.
Therefore, if you have poisonous potted plants at home, and one of your household members hasdisturbing symptoms, it is worth checking first if one of the flowers is responsible for them - if the suspicions are confirmed, it is necessary to contact a doctor immediately.
And remember that in order to make a correct diagnosis, and therefore implement the appropriate treatment, your doctor will need information on which specific flower caused these symptoms.
Poisonous potted flowers: how to care for them?
Poisonous indoor plants, like all flowers, require specific procedures: watering, pruning, occasionally wiping the dust off the leaves, and replanting the plant into a larger pot.
All these procedures are best performed in rubber gloves (and after taking them off, wash your hands thoroughly).
If a given procedure involves the risk of a possible leakage of juice (e.g. when trimming or cutting off the legs), it is better to cover your eyes with protective glasses for your own safety.
Read also:
- Croton spotted - cute poisoner
- Dieffenbachia: a poisoner from Brazil
- Passiflora - exotic passion flower
- Common ivy (hedera helix) - poisonous, although healing
- Cyclamen: poisonous beauty
- Anthurium: challenging and dangerous
- Kliwia - rich in poisonous alkaloids
- Hoja full of toxic juice