Plant Safety

Do You Know What You're Growing?

By Jenny Rackley

A plant has to be somewhat hardy to survive in my house. I am not known for my green thumb. Nevertheless, my windowsills are full of plants, and I have potted floor plants around the house. Outside my house I have flowering shrubs and plants, evergreen plants and trees.

At my son's 6-month well-baby visit, the doctor handed me a pamphlet about poisonous houseplants. When I thought about houseplants, I thought about cheerful flowers and beautiful foliage, but never poison.

I was wrong. The nurse told me about almost losing a man whose airway had swollen shut because he had eaten Dieffenbachia (also called Dumbcane or Mother-in-Law's tongue), a common houseplant. I studied the pamphlet carefully, then looked at the plants in my home. I was shocked to find a number of plants, including deadly Dieffenbachia, that could be a danger to my son or a visiting child.

Poisonous plants fall into several categories, each with different characteristics. Some plants can cause problems if eaten; others can cause problems if touched. Plants like poison ivy and other indoor and outdoor plants can cause a contact dermatitis. Certain plants can cause swelling internally; others will affect the heart and vital organs. Plants like cacti can be dangerous simply because of their physical characteristics (their spines).

I was astounded by which plants were toxic. I had no idea philodendrons, spathe plants (peace lilies), pothos, heather, rhododendrons and so many other common plants were poisonous. It was time to get busy and find out about every plant I had in my home. To help me learn about my plants, I looked at an excellent book, Baby-Safe Houseplants and Cut Flowers, by John Alber and Delores Alber (Storey Books, 1993), which had sketches and descriptions to help identify plants and their toxicity. For plants I still couldn't identify, I clipped a portion and asked my local florist for both the scientific and common names. For outdoor plants, I took a small branch to my local nursery.

Want to see more?

• Accidental Poisonings: 6 Things You Need to Know Now
• Leaves of Three: Dealing with Poison Ivy
• Too Many Toxins: Keeping Poisons Away from Curious Hands
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