Cape lilac or while cedar (Melia azedarach) - lhe fruil, leaf, bark and flowers are allcoxic enough co kill.

More than 30 common garden plants have caused fatal poisonings, and children are most at risk A three-year-old girl was playing under a yellow oleander tree in the backyard of her Brisbane home. There seemed no obvious reason why, soon afterwards, she began vomiting and complaining of a tummy ache. Though she was still vomiting an hour or so later, her pa­rents didn't yet realise the case was critical. When she saw the family doctor some hours later, she was shaking and sweating, her pulse rac­ing. On the way to hospital, she suf­fered a heart attack and died.

This tragic case was reported in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1981. For­tunately, despite ihe toxicity of both species of oleander (Nerium oleander and Thevetia peruviana), oleander poisoning is rare, and fatal cases even rarer. But this is only one of the toxic plants in many domestic gardens. It's vital that you know of the hidden dan­gers in your gardE:n if there are young children around.

Many plants are poisono~~ (though not necessarily life-endangering) if eaten in large enough quantities. That's not to say you should rHmove all plants from

your garden and lay wall-to-wall cement. Nature protects children to a large ex­tent. In many cases, the attractively col­oured leaves and berries of toxic plants taste vile enough to put off the most adventurous eater. Others cause a burning pain in the mouth, if eaten, but because such small amounts are swallowed, they're not life-endangering.

But, unfortunately, there's very little in­formation around . We've had to compile the list of poisonous plants in the table from a number of sources, including government brochures, only three of which are available to the public (see footnote to the table) . Most knowledge about plant toxicity relates to animals ; our understanding of their effects on humans has to rely on reports of actual poisonings and fatalities.

Those indicated by triple asterisks (***) in the table you 'd be wise notto plant or . to pullout if you already have them, be­cause fatalities have been reported . (As you 'll see from the table, some fruit and vegetables - mainly their seeds or ker­nels in large quantities - have been in­volved in fatalities or are very toxic. We're not advocating you pull out your small orchard, but you should still be aware of the hazards, especially where young children are involved.) No deaths have been reported, as far as we know, with plants indicated in the table with double asterisks (** ), but their toxic principle can cause (and in some cases has caused) serious illness and/or burning pain in the mouth if eaten.

If you suspect your child has eaten any plants in these categories, induce vomit­ing immediately by putting your finger down the child 's throat, then contact your Poisons Information Centre (the number is listed in the front of your telephone book). If you're really worried, take the child (and the plant if possible) to hospi­tal. The burning pain in the mouth is caused by oxalic acid which is oil solu­ble. So wash oul the child's mouth with butter or olive oil to soothe the pain , and give plenty of cold milk or ice cream - the calcium in it will inactivate the acid and cool the pain .

Plants listed with a single asterisk are those known to have caused allergic

CHOICE, April 1983 - 3

-= ~ : - : - :: .;: ::" .'. - . " p an t in sen· " = :~ e. For example. handling t _(en plants of Poison ivy (Toxico­dendron radicans) or Scarlet rhus (Toxicodendron succadaneum) - also known as Kuntze or Japanese wax tree - can produce dermatitis and, in severe cases, skin blisters which can become infected. Poison ivy is a declared dangerous weed in South Australia, and plants of the Japanese wax tree were voluntarily withdrawn from sale by sev­eral SA nurseries when six or seven workers in one nursery were affected through handling the plant. Eating the leaves or fruit of these plants is very dangerous for sensitive people because the dermatitis reaction can occur inter­nally in the mouth, stomach and intes­tines, causing serious gastric upset. The smoke from burning these plants can also be allergenic.

Gbvi0us!y, you cap't always be everywhere your children are. With young babies, especially the 'crawlers: it's best to keep indoor plants out of reach. Most importantly, explain the dangers to children of eating plants and berries. Stress that if they taste bitter or they burn the mouth, they should be spat out immediately.

One Queensland subscriber, alarmed at the number of poisonous plants on sale, suggests colour coding of potted plants or seeds at point of sale according to their toxicity, with an accompanying col­our chart explaining the parts of the plant that are toxic: for example, red for oleander (any part could kill a child). orange for wisteria (seeds after flower­ing toxic) and green for nasturtium (per­fectly safe). .

Nursery people in Queensland did con­sider this, according to the Director of Queensland's Department of Primary Industry's Botany BranCh, but be­cause the toxicity of many plants to humans is only es ab s ed after re­ports of poisonings. '0 say a plant is 'safe' when it ight later prove to be otherwise is a risk they're not prepared to takE" Ne agree, but fail to see ..mat's to prevent 'danger' abels on plants that have caused fatalities or pOisonings!

4 - CHOICE, April 1983

Leaves, and seeds in /aIG" IlmounlS, of apples, Apricot flesh is sweet, but kernels of Prunus ar­I-:.;lutiing crab apples, pic..... red, (Malus) can kill. meniaca are toxic .

TH~ TOZ OF POISONOUS PlANTS1

>,C¥ :.:cAfrican milk bush Synadenium grantii (sap) , Agapanthus or African

~:~blue lily Agapanthus oriental ls (sap) Allamanda AI/amanda spp. (frui1) ** Almond Prunus dulcis (kernel - bitter type) *** Angel's trumpet Datura arborea (nectar, seeds) *** Apple Malus spp. (leaves, seeds in large ***

amounts) Apple·ot-Sodom Solanum sodomaeum (truit) *** Apricot Prunus armeniaca (kernels in large

amounts) *** Arum lily - see Calla lily

Belladonna lily Amaryllis belladonna (bulb) ** Bird-of-Paradise plant Poinciana gilliesii (unripe seed pod) ** Bittersweet or Woody Nightshade Solanum dulcamara (berries) ** Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta (all parts) * Black bean Of ~..iOic:!C"h-­

Bay chestnut Castanospermum australe (seeds) ** Black locust or Robinia Robinia pseudoacacia (all parts) ** Black nightshade or Blackberry nightshade Solanum nigrum (green fruit) *** Bluebell Scilla nonscripta (bulb) ** Buttercups Ranunculus spp. (all parts) * Butterfly iris Moraea spp. (all parts) ** Caladium Caladium spp. (all parts) * Calico bush Kalmia latifolia (all parts) ** Calla lily or White Arum lily Zanthedeschia aethiopica (all parts esp. spike) *** Cape honey flower Melianthus comosus (root especially) ** Cape lilac or White Melia azedarach (fruit, leaf, bark and *** cedar flowers) Cape lily - see Spider lily

Common name/s Botanical name Toxic part/s Toxicity2

Aconite or Monkshood Aconitum nape/lus (all parts) ***

Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis (all parts) *** Carrot fern - see Hemlock

Cassava Manihot esculenta (raw roots) ** Castor oil plant Ricinus communis (seeds: 2-8) *** Cestrum or Jessamine - see Green cestrum Chalice vine - see Golden chalice

1. Complied from: Plants Poisonous tc People. Division of Health Educatiof1 and Information,

ueensland Healt/:! Department (free). Po/sonousjJ8rden Clna other Plants Harm· ful to Man in Australift. Western Australian Department of Agriculture (not available to general public).

Polson Plants in the Garden. Western Aus­tralian Department of Agriculture (free). Poisonous Plants in the Home Garden. Tasmanian Department of Agriculture (21) cent s) . Poisonous Plants of the Northern Territory (out of print). Department of Primary Pro­duction, Northern Territory.

i

CaUa, or .:hiu Ql'..tm lily ( Zamh~esc:ua aethiopica; - ail p,Jr:s, espo..-ially the 5;:):.< , e poisorur.JJ•

Common name. s Botanical name

Cherry Prunus cerasus

Cherry lau rei Prunus laurocerasus

Chincherinchee - see Star-of-Bethlehem

Columbine Aqui/egia spp.

Common privet Ugustrum vulgare

Common pansy Tanacetum vulgare

Coral bush - see Physic nut

Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus

Cotoneaster Cotoneaster spp.

Crepe Jasmine Ervatamia coronaria

Crown of Thorns Euphorbia milii

Cunjevoi (not the marine animal) Alocasia macrorrhiza

!<... ~ -, <:1ght seeds of the caslOr oil plane (Ricinus w =·.r:m) - are enough 10 kill.

Toxic part/s Toxicity2

(kernels) ** (bruised leaves) **

(seeds) x '%

(leaves, fruit. berries) xx

(all parts) x

(all parts) * (fruit, flowers) ** (all parts) *** (sap) *

(all parts) *** *,

Daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus (sap and bulb) ** * , Daphne Daphne spp. (berries) *** *, Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna (berries, few) *** Delphinium - see Larkspur

Dumbcane Dieffenbachia spp. (berries, few) *** Duranta or GQki~n dewdrop Duranta rep-ens -­ (berries) *** Dusty miner Senecio cineraria (all parts) * Elephant's ears or Taro Colocasia esculenta (root) ** English ivy Hedera helix (all parts, esp. berries) ** *, Feverfew Chrysanthemum parthenium (all parts) * Flag iris, Flag lily or Fleur de lis Iris germanica (all parts) ** Florist's chrysanthemum . Chrysanthemum morifolium (all parts) * Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Frangipani Plumeria spp.

Fruit salad or Swiss Cheese plant Monstera deliciosa

Glory lily G/oriosa superba

Golden chain - see Laburnum

Golden chalice or chalice vine Solandra spp.

Golden dewd"rop ­ see Duranta

Gree ceslfU ll. Ces....,.~'7' (Y Jessamine Cestrum spp.

Go ;0;:' - ~ :;"" ~ - see Physic nut

-~--r:-- Cr;; !;;e~Js spp.

Poison:ous? P04SOning Prnention and FI1Sf Aid: A U le Saving Manual, Helen McCaughey, Angus & Robertson Pub­lishers. ~evlsed edition, 1980 ($5.95). Poisonous Plants of Australia, S. L. Everist, 1974, Angus & Robertson Pub­lishers (Revised edition 1982, S75).

(all parts) ** (sap) ** * (ripe fruit) * (all parts, esp. root) ~ ::S*

(sap, leaves, fl owers) xx :it.

(all parts, esp. fruiiJ

(hun) ** ~ • rw ed overleaf)

2. Toxicity as reported ­ 1 above.

"'x '" Deaths reported

** Toxic but no dtlaths and or poison­Ings reported

* Can cause dermatitis 0" ~~e skin on contact

spp. = species

P '=rraplu of lhe cap< . ~ . : ;J1. cunjevoi, . . = -.I P"....i poison ivy

..... ~,,- Royal :: 'Syd-

Duranla or golden de-wdrop. Du:-~:~ ~ -lhe berries aTe poisor,g,;s .

- Poinsellia sap (Euph~ : . pulcher rima) , is highly L

and can cause skin irriwL" Poison ivy (Toxicondendron radicans . 3.; ... name implies, lhe sap, leaves andfmil oflhis planl

: '} '; tnlJed from previoe ~ :;;:, are highly toxic, and can also cause skin irriwlion.

100.

P ISO (CON

***

Euphorbia tirucalli (sap) ***, *

*** >.:

1. Compiled from: Poison Plants In the Garden. Western Aus­Plants Poisonous to People. Division of tralian Department of Agriculture (free). Health Education and Information, Poisonous Plants in the Home Garden. Queensland Health Oepartment (free). Tasmania f1! Poisonous.Gardetl ~ if ~ er fultoManln Al. a.W ' --' Department of tture not aiThe k.rrnel, fwc:er. kal and bark ai lh. lim;:ering to general public). peach (Prunus per-s:ca a r"{." !.o)'"1-c .

6 - CHOICE, April 1983

A pocaeo u:hich is gre.?tl has been exposed 10 lighc. This co . :a:ISi an :':V:'i<lSe in solanine, high lei:eL~ of i ..:n :-ri: ill...:ii :"['":;£.::..1:".1r.r 1.1,;,41 (an ca uset'omilt'ng: t:{ ~':: "~:: "": u-:~ ';~:.fl'r;it,)~ .. .

Rhubarb :Rheum rhaponL= - ihe leaf blade ispoisonous, so make sure), r ::;. w ok lhe scalks.

Pc:a.:ces Solanum tuberosum (green skin) *** Primula Primula obconica (all parts) * Pyrethrum Chrysanthemum coccineum (all parts) * Quince Cydonia oblonga (seeds, fresr ea'. es

Rhubarb Rheum rhaponticum (leaf blade)

Rhus - see Smoke tree & Scarlet Rhus

Robinia - see Black locust

Scarlet Rhus, Kuntze or Japanese wax tree Toxicodendron succedaneum (all parts ar.d smokeJ ** ~ Shasta daisy Chrysanthemum maximum (all parts) * Smoke tree or Rhus Rhus cotinus (sap) * Sneezeweed HeJenium autumnaJe (all parts) " Snow-on-the-mountain Euphorbia marginata (sap) ** Spider lily Nerine spp. (bulb) ** Spindle tree Euonymus europaeus (all parts, esp. fruit **

and seeds)

Star-of-Bethlehem OrnithogaJum thyrsoides (bulb and flower spike) ** Urtica

Asclepias fruticosa

Is It Poisonous? Poisoning PrevenUon and rust AJd: A ute Saving Manual, Helen McCaughey, Angus & Robertson Pub­lishers. Revised edition, 1980 ($5.95). Poisonous Plants of Australia, S. L. Everist, 1974, Angus & Robertson Pub­lishers (Revised edition 1982, $75).

(pods)

(seeds and peds)

2. Toxicity as reported in 1 above. *'"* Deaths reported

* * **

** Toxic but n deaths and/or poison­ings report~d

* Can caus' dermatitis or irritate skin on contact

spp. = species

P :. ­- ;.::;hs of the cast;"....,

.: __....: ;: . laburnum , ,;-: : rhubarb

su- Del>­_-~·-;'· i_

,,:~ :;-,_ i ,;; . •'l.cokamhera spectabilis, Carissa ;;=ows - th efruil and lhe plant are eoxic ami :..:-. ~:: J ca use skin irricalion .

ous .