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Poisonous plants
This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants:
http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm It runs to 7 pages. ;-) -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
Poisonous plants
Sacha12/4/04 10:11
net.co.uk This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm It runs to 7 pages. ;-) I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 pages! -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
Poisonous plants
"Sacha" wrote in message o.uk... Sacha12/4/04 10:11 6.fs net.co.uk This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm It runs to 7 pages. ;-) I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 pages! -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if you exclude these? |
Poisonous plants
In article , "Neil Jones" writes: | "Sacha" wrote in message | o.uk... | Sacha12/4/04 10:11 | | This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: | | http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm | | It runs to 7 pages. ;-) | | I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 | pages! | | A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if | you exclude these? Dunno, but it is sufficiently incomplete that I wouldn't bother with it. Try runner beans, flowering tobacco (nicotiana), bluebell, common laurel and horse chestnut, to name but a few commonly-planted decoratives. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Poisonous plants
Just how poisonous is an apple tree?
And forget-me-not, and grape hyacinth? Honeysuckle, marigold, peony, privet... Edwin Bath. |
Poisonous plants
In article , Edwin Spector
writes Just how poisonous is an apple tree? ISTR the pips contain minute amounts of cyanide ;-) Not enough to do any harm unless you were to eat them in *vast* amounts, but they are in the same family as bitter almonds and cherry laurel. And forget-me-not, and grape hyacinth? Honeysuckle, marigold, peony, privet... Honeysuckle berries and privet berries are both poisonous. Privet has a violent purging effect and can be fatal to children. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
Poisonous plants
Neil Jones13/4/04 1:02
"Sacha" wrote in message o.uk... Sacha12/4/04 10:11 6.fs net.co.uk This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm It runs to 7 pages. ;-) I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 pages! -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if you exclude these? I'll leave you to explore that. I went to Google and typed in poisonous plants, with a UK bias, of course. And that was the answer. This means that to some extent, all those plants are toxic in varying degrees. And the question most people ask is "are these plants toxic?" not "will these plants kill my children, poison the dog or merely give us a severe skin reaction?" The RHS Encyclopedia gives some such details but not for all plants. If people want a garden in which they can be certain that no smallest degree of harm can come to anyone in it, they're going to find it problematic. I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Few people ask if such things will endanger their lives! -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
Poisonous plants
In article , Sacha writes: | | The RHS Encyclopedia gives some such details but not for all plants. If | people want a garden in which they can be certain that no smallest degree of | harm can come to anyone in it, they're going to find it problematic. | I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a | rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Few people ask if | such things will endanger their lives! I once cut my head on the corner of an ill-placed safety cabinet. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Poisonous plants
"Sacha" wrote in message o.uk... Neil Jones13/4/04 1:02 "Sacha" wrote in message o.uk... Sacha12/4/04 10:11 6.fs net.co.uk This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm It runs to 7 pages. ;-) I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 pages! -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if you exclude these? I'll leave you to explore that. How kind. I went to Google and typed in poisonous plants, with a UK bias, of course. And that was the answer. This means that to some extent, all those plants are toxic in varying degrees. My point is that according to the same site, toxicity of 1 means "1. Non-toxic: These plants are not poisonous or there is no known record of toxicity. Exposure to these plants is not expected to cause any symptoms " So the "varying degrees" seem to range from potentially fatal to totally innocuous. And the question most people ask is "are these plants toxic?" not "will these plants kill my children, poison the dog or merely give us a severe skin reaction?" I don't find it helpful to be told that Pachysandra terminalis is a toxic plant, only to find that the it is rated as non-toxic. Maybe it's just me, but if I see a list of poisonous plants, I expect them at least to be poisonous to some degree. The RHS Encyclopedia gives some such details but not for all plants. If people want a garden in which they can be certain that no smallest degree of harm can come to anyone in it, they're going to find it problematic. Clearly such an expectation is misconceived. I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Few people ask if such things will endanger their lives! So now you seem to be saying that this list is even less useful? |
Poisonous plants
Neil Jones13/4/04 3:25
snip So now you seem to be saying that this list is even less useful? No, Neil. I'm saying that the subject of poisonous plants came up in urg in another thread and that there were varying claims as to the toxicity of ornamental garden plants. So, out of curiosity, I did a very simple Google search to see what would kick up. You have the result. How you use it is up to you. If you wish to know more, then do your own Googling. If you wish to buy a particular plant and want to know its toxicity you now have the link for a site that might help you. I think what you are missing here is the degree of variation possible in the toxicity of plants depending on the size, age, general health etc. of those afflicted by it - maybe. A 1yo child is going to have a much bigger reaction to munching a daffodil bulb than a healthy 25 yo, and so on. Most people are concerned about the effects upon children, IME. For example, two days ago a customer asked me if Helleborus is toxic. New question to me, so I looked it up in the RHS Encyclopedia and the answer was that all parts of it may cause severe discomfort if ingested and the sap might irritate the skin. Now - the customer got an honest answer but after we had briefly discussed the likelihood of a 3 yo child chomping on a Hellebore and that the description did NOT say "deadly to ankle-biters", she decided to go ahead and buy it. Daffodil sap is toxic to some people, Ricinus is deadly to most - there are plenty of grades in between. The *whole point* is that it depends on what the individual means by 'toxic' - skin rash, bellyache, vomiting, or death? Will rue just give you a nasty skin rash or a woman an abortion if she chews the leaves? For that reason, such a list has to be very inclusive. Some people won't plant Oleander or Laburnum in case it poisons someone - children are the usual worry - but few would think twice about planting Hellebores, so clearly our customer's 'worry factor' was highly developed. All I can say is that I don't think the RHS has reported one death from the ingestion of poisonous plant parts in simply years. OTOH, a friend of ours pulling out Giant Hogweed suffered horrible skin trouble for a long time but he didn't die. IOW, for more info, explore further for your personal need-to-know. -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
Poisonous plants
There's an article on this topic in the current Gardener's World mag. It says (abbreviated) "the Horticultural Trades Association has worked in close ssociation with the National Poisons Unit at Guy's and St Thomas Hospital Trust and tha Royal Botanic gardens kew, to produce a list of recommended retail practice...it includes a list of 120 potentially harmful plants...based on medical case histories involving plants that have been identified as being a significant hazard. The plants are divided into 3 categories of hazard. the full list can be obtained from the HTA tel 0118 930 8940, or at www.gardenersworld.com." I enjoyed "Capsicum annuum,chilli pepper..eating the fruits causes sweating and a burning sensation". Notta lotta people know that... Janet |
Poisonous plants
The message
from Edwin Spector contains these words: Just how poisonous is an apple tree? Never try to eat a whole tree all at once. And forget-me-not, and grape hyacinth? No idea. Honeysuckle, Not terribly toxic, but enough berries will make you very sick. marigold, Pot marigold, not at all AFAIK peony, privet... Dunno about paeony, but rivet berries are not good for you at all. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Poisonous plants
On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 15:08:35 +0100, Sacha wrote:
I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Rose thorns present a known hazard of this type. I doubt the nasty chemical had anything to do with the resultant bacterial infection. Barberry thorns are even worse, however. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
Poisonous plants
On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 14:16:01 +0100, Kay Easton wrote:
In article , Edwin Spector writes Just how poisonous is an apple tree? ISTR the pips contain minute amounts of cyanide ;-) Not enough to do any harm unless you were to eat them in *vast* amounts, but they are in the same family as bitter almonds and cherry laurel. So does clover, which we all have chewed in our childhood whilst lying on our backs making shapes out of clouds. -- Tim C. |
Poisonous plants
Kay Easton wrote in
: In article , Edwin Spector writes Just how poisonous is an apple tree? ISTR the pips contain minute amounts of cyanide ;-) Not enough to do any harm unless you were to eat them in *vast* amounts, but they are in the same family as bitter almonds and cherry laurel. I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. ....any good? Cherry twigs apparently cause liver and kidney problems in rabbits... Victoria |
Poisonous plants
In article . 10,
Victoria Clare writes I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. T'were oi!!!!!! I used to eat the whole of the apple except the stalk. Had a perforated gangrenous appendix at the age of 8 :( -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see |
Poisonous plants
The message
from lid (Rodger Whitlock) contains these words: On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 15:08:35 +0100, Sacha wrote: I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Rose thorns present a known hazard of this type. I doubt the nasty chemical had anything to do with the resultant bacterial infection. Barberry thorns are even worse, however. And as for blackthorn..... -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Poisonous plants
In article , Jane Ransom
writes In article . 10, Victoria Clare writes I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. T'were oi!!!!!! I used to eat the whole of the apple except the stalk. Had a perforated gangrenous appendix at the age of 8 :( I can't help wondering why you baulked at the stalk -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
Poisonous plants
In article . 10,
Victoria Clare writes Kay Easton wrote in : In article , Edwin Spector writes Just how poisonous is an apple tree? ISTR the pips contain minute amounts of cyanide ;-) Not enough to do any harm unless you were to eat them in *vast* amounts, but they are in the same family as bitter almonds and cherry laurel. I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. ...any good? I guess they'd be very bad news for a diverticulitis sufferer Cherry twigs apparently cause liver and kidney problems in rabbits... I did a quick google on poisonous plants, and some of the symptoms described were very compelling ... but they were on vets' sites. I suppose it makes sense that plants would have evolved with good defences against pure herbivores. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
Poisonous plants
In article , Kay Easton
writes I can't help wondering why you baulked at the stalk Don't really know myself. We used to go out in the car a lot and always had apples. I never knew what to do with the core and, as we weren't allowed to chuck it out of the window, I just used to eat it. I suppose I was always a bit of a rebel and, if I wasn't allowed to chuck the whole core out of the window, at least I could chuck the stalk out!!!!!!!! -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see |
Poisonous plants
(Nick Maclaren) wrote in message ...
In article , "Neil Jones" writes: | "Sacha" wrote in message | o.uk... | Sacha12/4/04 10:11 | | This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: | http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm | | It runs to 7 pages. ;-) | | I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 | pages! | | A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if | you exclude these? Dunno, but it is sufficiently incomplete that I wouldn't bother with it. Try runner beans, flowering tobacco (nicotiana), bluebell, common laurel and horse chestnut, to name but a few commonly-planted decoratives. Just moved house, so I can't give a proper reference, but in one of my boxes there's a good HMSO book (one of the Agricultural Bulletins series, I think),*British Poisonous Plants*, written chiefly from a vet point of view with case descriptions. It always cheers me up. Mike. |
Poisonous plants
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
. 240.10... Kay Easton wrote in : In article , Edwin Spector writes Just how poisonous is an apple tree? ISTR the pips contain minute amounts of cyanide ;-) Not enough to do any harm unless you were to eat them in *vast* amounts, but they are in the same family as bitter almonds and cherry laurel. I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. I heard of someone who saved apple pips (because he liked the taste) until he had a bagful. Then died of cyanide poisoning after he scoffed the lot. -- Nick Wagg |
Poisonous plants
Kay Easton wrote in
: And forget-me-not, and grape hyacinth? Honeysuckle, marigold, peony, privet... Honeysuckle berries and privet berries are both poisonous. Privet has a violent purging effect and can be fatal to children. Some marigold species can apparently cause minor skin irritation - http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...on/Tagetsp.htm Peony roots can cause paralysis: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/cumberland/h...rdennote21.htm l I also found a reference to forgetmenots possibly causing liver damage, though I couldn't find anything bad about grape hyacinths. One thing to note with 'poisonous plant' lists is that many of them are prepared with herbal medicine users in mind. So, they aren't just warning you against risks to passing kids (unlikely to dig up your paeonies and eat the roots, I think), but they also provide info to try to discourage people who would otherwise boil the stuff down and drink it, or rub it in all over. I found the thing about liver damage and forgetmenots on an AIDS advice site which gave me the impression that some of its users might try almost anything in desperation. (Mind you, there's no denying some urglers are adventurous eaters!) Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
Poisonous plants
The message . 10
from Victoria Clare contains these words: I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. ...any good? Urbane miff. Cherry twigs apparently cause liver and kidney problems in rabbits... So does the landing after they've flown up to get them. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Poisonous plants
The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words: In article . 10, Victoria Clare writes I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. T'were oi!!!!!! I used to eat the whole of the apple except the stalk. Had a perforated gangrenous appendix at the age of 8 :( But I bet it wasn't a pip wot dun it, yeronner. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Poisonous plants
The message
from Jane Ransom contains these words: In article . 10, Victoria Clare writes I believe that I have read of someone who got appendicitis through eating apple cores and the pips becoming lodged in the appendix. It's an old wives tale. Applepips are no more likely to get lodged in the appendix than any other undigested seeds, grains etc. I used to eat the whole of the apple except the stalk. Had a perforated gangrenous appendix at the age of 8 :( My sister and mother both had a perforated appendix, and neither of them ate pips. Janet. |
Poisonous plants
On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:50:57 +0100, Sacha
wrote: Nick Maclaren13/4/04 3:20 . ac.uk In article , Sacha writes: | | The RHS Encyclopedia gives some such details but not for all plants. If | people want a garden in which they can be certain that no smallest degree of | harm can come to anyone in it, they're going to find it problematic. | I know someone who nearly died of septicaemia after pricking his finger on a | rose thorn that had been sprayed by some nasty chemical. Few people ask if | such things will endanger their lives! I once cut my head on the corner of an ill-placed safety cabinet. I met someone in the fracture clinic a couple of years ago who'd broken her ankle smelling the roses! (mind you, I'd broken mine falling off the doormat.....) Regards, Nick Maclaren. Isn't it ROSPA that says 'most accidents happen in the home'? ;-) -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) -- Sally in Shropshire, UK bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk Email is sallydogthompsonatbtinternetdogcom, replacing dog with dot Reply To address is spam trap |
Poisonous plants
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message om... (Nick Maclaren) wrote in message ... In article , "Neil Jones" writes: | "Sacha" wrote in message | o.uk... | Sacha12/4/04 10:11 | | This is an alphabetical listing of poisonous plants: | http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Ref...ison%20a-m.htm | | It runs to 7 pages. ;-) | | I got ahead of myself there - 7 pages is just A to M. A to Z is 12 | pages! | | A lot of these seem to be rated 1 ie non-toxic. How many pages is it if | you exclude these? Dunno, but it is sufficiently incomplete that I wouldn't bother with it. Try runner beans, flowering tobacco (nicotiana), bluebell, common laurel and horse chestnut, to name but a few commonly-planted decoratives. I certainly wouldn't rely on it, there are some glaring omissions and the random use of common names or botanic names makes it hard to find a plant even when you know its poisonous and what its called! one well know poison I couldn't see (but it may be there under a different name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. I think the advice at the beginning of the page is spot on, if you don't know something is edible you should assume its poisonous! -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Poisonous plants
In article , "Charlie Pridham" writes: | | I certainly wouldn't rely on it, there are some glaring omissions and the | random use of common names or botanic names makes it hard to find a plant | even when you know its poisonous and what its called! | one well know poison I couldn't see (but it may be there under a different | name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. You could tell from the length that it was intended to cover only common garden plants - I didn't know that was one. | I think the advice at the beginning of the page is spot on, if you don't | know something is edible you should assume its poisonous! I will experiment with some families but, as you know, I have enough botanical and toxological knowledge to make an educated guess. I will not experiment with the solanaceae or fabaceae/leguminoseae, despite the number of food plants in those families! Nor will I trust Web pages that say they are edible without further evidence (black nightshade being the obvious example). Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Poisonous plants
"Sacha" wrote in message o.uk... Neil Jones13/4/04 3:25 snip I just raised a simple point - that half the plants on "Poisonous plants" list were actually described as non-toxic. Years ago, my grandmother pricked herself with a rose thorn and the wound turned nasty. The doctor told her to put her hand in water as hot as she could stand in order to "draw the poison" - she scalded herself. Neil |
Poisonous plants
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Charlie Pridham" writes: | | name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. You could tell from the length that it was intended to cover only common garden plants - I didn't know that was one. I will experiment with some families but, as you know, I have enough botanical and toxological knowledge to make an educated guess. I will not experiment with the solanaceae or fabaceae/leguminoseae, despite the number of food plants in those families! Nor will I trust Web pages that say they are edible without further evidence (black nightshade being the obvious example). Regards, Nick Maclaren. I know Strychnos toxifera is not a common garden plant! but its relative Gelsemium isn't exactly common in this country either and that's on the list at least twice! I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. (which I am pretty sure most people won't read) Where I do think they have a point is when something unexpected happens like hogweed sap irritation when normal gardening practice may need to be changed, I also think pointing out to people that plants like euphorbia which may cause them skin problems but would prove lethal to fish if the sap were to get into the water. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Poisonous plants
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:16:14 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote:
I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. IMHO, there's a real downside to overdoing the "poisonous plant" schtick as some of the earth-mother crowd are wont. Namely, by running around claiming that nearly every garden plant is "poisonous", you obscure the fact that some plants present genuine, serious hazards not to be sneezed at. Aconitum napellus, the common monkshood, is very poisonous, in the true sense of the word: it won't just give you a tummy ache if you ingest it: it can easily kill you. As long as you grow it in the perennial border, it probably doesn't present a real threat, but you don't want to grow it anywhere near a patch of Jerusalem artichokes because the roots of the two look too much alike. There are other Aconitum species that are even more poisonous, Aconitum ferox being so much so that knowledgable sorts won't even consider having it in their gardens. (Some of the fiercer natives of Myanmar and adjacent parts traditionally used it to poison their arrows.) If a booklet of "poisonous plants" runs into dozens or hundreds of common garden denizens, the genuine hazard presented by aconitum, among others, may be obscured by the presence of irrelevancies. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
Poisonous plants
Rodger Whitlock17/4/04 1:53
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:16:14 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote: I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. IMHO, there's a real downside to overdoing the "poisonous plant" schtick as some of the earth-mother crowd are wont. Namely, by running around claiming that nearly every garden plant is "poisonous", you obscure the fact that some plants present genuine, serious hazards not to be sneezed at. Yes but if nursery owners *don't* give a warning, they could be in trouble, even if all little Johnnie gets is a skin rash. ;-( Aconitum napellus, the common monkshood, is very poisonous, in the true sense of the word: it won't just give you a tummy ache if you ingest it: it can easily kill you. As long as you grow it in the perennial border, it probably doesn't present a real threat, but you don't want to grow it anywhere near a patch of Jerusalem artichokes because the roots of the two look too much alike. Shame because it's a handsome plant. snip -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
Poisonous plants
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Charlie Pridham" writes: | | name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. You could tell from the length that it was intended to cover only common garden plants - I didn't know that was one. I will experiment with some families but, as you know, I have enough botanical and toxological knowledge to make an educated guess. I will not experiment with the solanaceae or fabaceae/leguminoseae, despite the number of food plants in those families! Nor will I trust Web pages that say they are edible without further evidence (black nightshade being the obvious example). Regards, Nick Maclaren. I know Strychnos toxifera is not a common garden plant! but its relative Gelsemium isn't exactly common in this country either and that's on the list at least twice! I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. (which I am pretty sure most people won't read) Where I do think they have a point is when something unexpected happens like hogweed sap irritation when normal gardening practice may need to be changed, I also think pointing out to people that plants like euphorbia which may cause them skin problems but would prove lethal to fish if the sap were to get into the water. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Poisonous plants
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Charlie Pridham" writes: | | name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. You could tell from the length that it was intended to cover only common garden plants - I didn't know that was one. I will experiment with some families but, as you know, I have enough botanical and toxological knowledge to make an educated guess. I will not experiment with the solanaceae or fabaceae/leguminoseae, despite the number of food plants in those families! Nor will I trust Web pages that say they are edible without further evidence (black nightshade being the obvious example). Regards, Nick Maclaren. I know Strychnos toxifera is not a common garden plant! but its relative Gelsemium isn't exactly common in this country either and that's on the list at least twice! I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. (which I am pretty sure most people won't read) Where I do think they have a point is when something unexpected happens like hogweed sap irritation when normal gardening practice may need to be changed, I also think pointing out to people that plants like euphorbia which may cause them skin problems but would prove lethal to fish if the sap were to get into the water. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Poisonous plants
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:16:14 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote:
I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. IMHO, there's a real downside to overdoing the "poisonous plant" schtick as some of the earth-mother crowd are wont. Namely, by running around claiming that nearly every garden plant is "poisonous", you obscure the fact that some plants present genuine, serious hazards not to be sneezed at. Aconitum napellus, the common monkshood, is very poisonous, in the true sense of the word: it won't just give you a tummy ache if you ingest it: it can easily kill you. As long as you grow it in the perennial border, it probably doesn't present a real threat, but you don't want to grow it anywhere near a patch of Jerusalem artichokes because the roots of the two look too much alike. There are other Aconitum species that are even more poisonous, Aconitum ferox being so much so that knowledgable sorts won't even consider having it in their gardens. (Some of the fiercer natives of Myanmar and adjacent parts traditionally used it to poison their arrows.) If a booklet of "poisonous plants" runs into dozens or hundreds of common garden denizens, the genuine hazard presented by aconitum, among others, may be obscured by the presence of irrelevancies. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
Poisonous plants
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Charlie Pridham" writes: | | name) Strychnos toxifera or curare. You could tell from the length that it was intended to cover only common garden plants - I didn't know that was one. I will experiment with some families but, as you know, I have enough botanical and toxological knowledge to make an educated guess. I will not experiment with the solanaceae or fabaceae/leguminoseae, despite the number of food plants in those families! Nor will I trust Web pages that say they are edible without further evidence (black nightshade being the obvious example). Regards, Nick Maclaren. I know Strychnos toxifera is not a common garden plant! but its relative Gelsemium isn't exactly common in this country either and that's on the list at least twice! I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. (which I am pretty sure most people won't read) Where I do think they have a point is when something unexpected happens like hogweed sap irritation when normal gardening practice may need to be changed, I also think pointing out to people that plants like euphorbia which may cause them skin problems but would prove lethal to fish if the sap were to get into the water. -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Poisonous plants
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:16:14 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote:
I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. IMHO, there's a real downside to overdoing the "poisonous plant" schtick as some of the earth-mother crowd are wont. Namely, by running around claiming that nearly every garden plant is "poisonous", you obscure the fact that some plants present genuine, serious hazards not to be sneezed at. Aconitum napellus, the common monkshood, is very poisonous, in the true sense of the word: it won't just give you a tummy ache if you ingest it: it can easily kill you. As long as you grow it in the perennial border, it probably doesn't present a real threat, but you don't want to grow it anywhere near a patch of Jerusalem artichokes because the roots of the two look too much alike. There are other Aconitum species that are even more poisonous, Aconitum ferox being so much so that knowledgable sorts won't even consider having it in their gardens. (Some of the fiercer natives of Myanmar and adjacent parts traditionally used it to poison their arrows.) If a booklet of "poisonous plants" runs into dozens or hundreds of common garden denizens, the genuine hazard presented by aconitum, among others, may be obscured by the presence of irrelevancies. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
Poisonous plants
Rodger Whitlock17/4/04 1:53
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 10:16:14 +0100, Charlie Pridham wrote: I was just having a bit of a general grump about having to put toxicity warnings on all plants when there are so many ways a plant can harm you, that you are in danger of having a booklet sized label for them. IMHO, there's a real downside to overdoing the "poisonous plant" schtick as some of the earth-mother crowd are wont. Namely, by running around claiming that nearly every garden plant is "poisonous", you obscure the fact that some plants present genuine, serious hazards not to be sneezed at. Yes but if nursery owners *don't* give a warning, they could be in trouble, even if all little Johnnie gets is a skin rash. ;-( Aconitum napellus, the common monkshood, is very poisonous, in the true sense of the word: it won't just give you a tummy ache if you ingest it: it can easily kill you. As long as you grow it in the perennial border, it probably doesn't present a real threat, but you don't want to grow it anywhere near a patch of Jerusalem artichokes because the roots of the two look too much alike. Shame because it's a handsome plant. snip -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
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