Poisonous Plants

January 28, 2007

One thinks of their home as a SAFE HAVEN from the world, but your home can be a very dangerous place when it comes to accidental poisoning, or even worse when it causes the death of your precious child. Thousands of deaths can be prevented every year by an informed and cautious parent who is fully aware of the environment in which the child lives! What are the areas of concern?

Kitchen - with its cleaning products, vitamin tablets, medicines and alcohol
Bathrooms - with medicines and cleaning products under your counter
Garages and Utility Rooms - keosene and paint thinners, antifreeze, windshield washing fluids, poisons for the garden.
Living Room and Family Room -houseplants (know which are poisonous and which are not)
Outdoor gardens - many plants are toxic to children and pets

In this article we will list the most common poisonous indoor and outdoor plants! Please refer to our separate article for information on other poisonous matters.

HOUSEPLANTS
Common Name: Elephant’s Ear, Chine Ape, Papo-Apaka, Taro, Papao-Atolong
Description: Erect perennial with long stemmed spearhead leaves. Flowers appear on greenish stem.
Toxic Parts: Leaves and stems
Symptoms: Chewing on plant part causes painful burning sensation of the lips, tongue,
mouth, and throat.

Common Name: Angel Wings, capotillo, Heart-of-Jesus, Mother-in-Law Plant, Paleta de Pintor
Description: Showy, variegated, heart-shaped leaves. Color may vary from white to orange, or red depending on the species.
Toxic Part: Whole plant is injurious when ingested.
Symptoms: Intense irritation of the lips, mouth and throat.

Common name: Diffenbachia species, Dumb Plant,
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Plant
Description: Tall, erect plants with large oblong leaves splotched with ivory markings
Toxic Part: Leaf
Symptoms: Chewing on the leaf produces immediate intense pain followed by swelling of the mouth.

Common Name: Elephant Ear, Devil’s Ivy, Golden Ceylon Creeper, Golden Pothos, Hunter’s Robe, Ivy Arum, Solomon Island Ivy, Taro Vine, Variegated Philodendron
Description: Climbing vine with large heart shaped leaves that are usually streaked with yellow.
Toxic Part: The whole plant is injurious
Symptoms: Causes diarrhea upon ingestion. Also causes dermatitis when touched. Causes burning sensation in the mouth when eaten.

Common Name: Euphorbia Species, Candelabra Cactus
Description: Many branched succulent, spiny shrub or tree with milky sp and wing-like spiny ridges.
Toxic Parts: Leaves, stems and milky sap.
Symptoms: When ingested, causes severe irritation of the mouth, throat and skin; temporary blindness; vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

Common Name: E Marginata, Snow-on-the-Mountain
Description: Tall annual herb with milky juice growing up to 3 feet in height. Leaves are lance shaped and smooth, bordered by conspicuous white margins. Flowers are bordered with a whorl of white petal-like leaves. Fruit is 3-celled with 3 lobed capsule.
Toxic Parts: Leaves, stems and milky fluid.
Symptoms: When touched causes blistering of the skin. When ingested causes severe irritation of the mouth, throat and stomach; nausea, abdominal pain, fainting, and diarrhea.

Common Name: Poinsettia, Christmas Flower, Christmas Star, Easter Flower
Description: Large green stem leaves and smaller but showy red, pink or yellow leaves surrounding the flowers. Fruit is a 3-celled, 3-lobed capsule.
Toxic parts: Leaves, stems and milky sap.
Symptoms: When touched, causes irritant dermatitis. If ingested causes gastritis.

Common name: Orchid, Philodendron Species
Description: Climbing vines with aerial roots. Leaves large and variable, the most common being heart-shaped.
Toxic Parts: Leaves
Symptoms: When ingested, causes painful burning of the lips, moth, tongue and throat. Contact dermatitis is common.

Common Name: Jerusalem Cherry, Coral
Description: Mostly herbs or shrubs. Are often spiny, hairy or have stinging hairs. Berries are black, orange, yellow and red.
Toxic Part: Entire plant, especially the berries.
Symptoms: When ingested, causes gastric irritation, scratch feeling in the throat, fever and diarrhea.

Common Name: Calla, Calla Lily, Lirio Cala
Description: Smooth-edged arrowhead-shaped leaves which grow on long stalks. Flower may be white or green.
Toxic Part: Leaves are injurious.
Symptoms: When ingested, causes intense burning of the lips and mouth. Also direct irritant dermatitis.

The above are the most poisonous indoor plants and you should be aware of these particular species when purchasing decorative greenery for the home which could be potentially injurious to your children.
Again, call the Poison Control Center nearest you (refer to the 800 number given) for instructions as to how to handle such an emergency.

GARDEN PLANTS
Common Name: Red Pepper, Cayenne Pepper
Description: Plants with elliptic, smooth-edged leaves. Flowers are usually white with purple tinge. Fruit is a pod containing many seeds, which turn red, orange or yellow at maturity.
Toxic Part: Fruit
Symptoms: Ingestion of fruit causes burning rash, swollen tissues, intense eye irritation, irritation of the lips, mouth, throat, stomach. Ingestion may also result in vomiting and diarrhea. Contact with skin may cause burning of affected area.

Common Name: Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Feverfew, Marguerite
Description: Showy flowers in almost all colors except blue.
Toxic Part: Leaves and Stems
Symptoms: Skin contact may cause dermatits. Ingestion may cause stomach irritation.

Common Name: Crocus, Meadow Saffron, Mysteria, Vellorita, Wonder Bulb
Description: Tubular purple or white flowers which emerge from the underground bulb.
Toxic Part: Whole plant is very poisonous
Symptoms: Upon ingestion, immediate burning pain in mouth and throat with intense thirst followed by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Less than one flower CAN BE DEADLY.

Common Name: Hyacinth
Description: Bulbous herbs with long, narrow leaves. Has flowers of white, yellow, red, pink or blue.
Toxic Part: Bulbs
Symptoms: Ingestion causes stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Common Name: Hydrangea, Hills-of-Snow, Hortensia
Description: Large bush of up to 15 feet. Stems and twigs are usually reddish brown. The leaves are 6 inches or longer, dark green above, grayish and fuzzy beneath. The tiny white flowers are borne in huge clusters. Flowers may also be rose, deep blue, or greenish white in color.
Toxic Part: Flower bud is the most poisonous.
Symptoms: Ingestion may cause CYANIDE POISONING. Some hours may elapse after ingestion before symptoms appear. Abdominal pain, vomiting, lethargy and sweating may develop.

Common Name: Iris, Fleur-de-Lis, Flags
Description: Lily-like with leaves which are long and narrow. Flowers are large with pink, blue, lilac and purple to white, brown, yellow, orange, and almost black flowers.
Toxic Part: Leaves and rootstock.
Symptoms: Burning and severe pain in the intestinal tract, nausea and severe diarrhea. Skin irritation can develop from the sap and seeds in some species.

Common Name: Sweet Pea, Everlasting Peas
Description: Climbing plants with showy flowers, singly or in clusters and are red, pink, white, yellow, blue or purple in color. Fruit is a usually flat legume pod containing several seeds.
Toxic Part: Entire plant, especially the seeds.
Symptoms: Upon ingestion, causes PERMANENT PARALYSIS, slow and weak pulse, shallow breathing, pain, weakness, tremors, excitement and convulsions.

Common Name: Cardinal Flower, Indian Tobacco, Eye Bright, Gag Root, Wild Tobacco, Blue Cardinal Flower, Great Blue Lobelia.
Description: Flowers are distinctive in having two small petals opposed by three large petals. Flowers may be blue, pink, red, yellow, or white.
Toxic Part: Entire plant.
Symptoms: Poisoning uncommon except when plant extracts are employed in home medicine.

Common Name: Tomato
Description: Erect to trailing herb with lobed or toothed leaves. Flowers are yellow. Fruit it smooth and more or less round, usually red.
Toxic Part: Leaves, Vines and sprouts
Symptoms: Headache, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, subnormal temperature, and circulatory and respiratory depression.

Common name: Daffodil, Jonquil, Narcisco, Narcissus, Paciencia
Description: Grown from a bulb. May be one of more flowers which are usually white or yellow.
Toxic Part: Bulbs (can look like onions)
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting and sometimes diarrhea

Common Name: Rhubarb, pieplant, Wineplant
Description: Thick fleshy stalks with large leaves
Toxic Part: Leaf Blades
Symptoms: Nausea, violent vomiting, nasal bleeding, stomach pains, headache, backache, weakness, difficulty in breathing and burning of the mouth and throat. DEATH OCCURS RAPIDLY if large amounts of leaf blades are eaten.

Common Name: Potato, Irish Potato, White Potato
Description: Upright herbs with edible underground tubers. Leaves are oval and pinnately divided. Flowers are white or bluish and in clusters. Fruits are rounded yellowish or green berries.
Toxic Parts: Green and spoiled potatoes, sprouts and unripe berries.
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, stomach pain, cold and clammy skin, dilated pupils, circulatory and rspiratory depression, SHOCK AND PARALYSIS.

Common Name: Tulip
Description: Most grow to about 2 feet tall. Blooms occur in May and are characteristic bowl shape.
Toxic Part: Bulbs
Symptoms: Contact Dermatits. On ingestion, may cause nausea, vomiting, increased salivation and heart palpitations.

SUMMATION ON PLANTS
One can see how poisonous the most innocuous looking plant can be. We have tried to list the most common plants found in the house and garden. Keep a watchful eye on young chilldren and when poison is suspected, CALL THE POISON CONTROL CENTER and get directions as to how to handle your emergency. Keep a cool head and describe exact symptoms and where your child has been. Quick action on your part can avoid some tragic outcomes.

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