In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Euphorbias are for the most part pretty unforgiving. Not in the poison
ivy class but still not something whose sap you really want on your
skin. As ever there are exceptions as far as can be determined
Poinsettia is relatively benign and Jatropha is a clear sapped nasty.

Well, yes, but the context was of the spurges that grow widely in
the UK. I did say that there were a lot of seriously nasty exotics,
though most are very tender. I can no longer remember which ones
I was warned against as a child, though one was a (tree) Euphorbia.

The temperate ones are only seriously nasty if it gets in your eyes or
other delicate areas but unless you are already sensitised unlikely to
cause more than a blister or two. Still worth getting it off your skin
promptly or not getting it on in the first place.

Well, yes. I don't worry unduly, as the skin on the palms of my
hands is rairly thick, but being silly is another matter.

Caper spurge is a common casual around here, and has been one of my
more dominating weeds in some years, but I have never heard of any
serious effects. However, I have avoided pruning my Cotinus coggyria
in summer on the grounds that the offending shoots were above eye
level, and the sap of that is also irritant and photosensitising.
My real point is that there are a hell of a lot of other things that
are similarly nasty to a few sensitive people, and it makes no sense
to single out one that is not exceptional.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.