Tuesday, July 29, 2008

POISONOUS PLANTS

OLEANDER


Recently I wrote about a plant called Yesterday-Today- Tomorrow. I found out it was poisonous and decided against putting it in my yard. I also decided to do some research on other plants I like to see how they stack up in the poison department.

There are many plants that cause an adverse reaction when they are eaten or their sap contacts skin. A partial list of common outdoor plants includes angel trumpet, oleander, poinsettia, Castor bean, autumn crocus, delphinium, bleeding heart, and lily of the valley. Some common indoor plants that are toxic are dieffenbachia, caladium and various species of philodendron.

Some of these I knew and some I didn't. I found out about Oleanders when we wanted to plant them a few years back. They are planted down the middle of one of our highways, here on the Coast and look so pretty. Billy loves them but I just thought it was too big a chance to take with little animals running all over. This was when we lived in the country and not only our little four legged babies but the wildlife could have been at risk.

The University of California provides an extensive list on their Web site.

If you look up the University in your state, you will find info for your local plants. The library of Congress also provides many booklets on this subject. Some you will have to pay for though.

Another useful Web site is one maintained by the ASPCA.
ASPCA SITE

Here is a list of poisonous plants from the South.

POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES

But keep in mind that we all do plant things in our yard or garden, with some part of it being poison, like the tomato plant...the fruit are fine but the plant itself can be dangerous if ingested. So take what you can use and throw out the rest as my Mama would say. I just like to know the ones that are dangerous so I can make an educated decision on whether on not to grow them.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, but I can't figure out how to comment on Traveling On Fumes, because I can't get the OpenID correct, (I've typed so many comments over there to realize this in the end!) So please allow me to place that comment here:
Please just don't jump off a bridge! I will miss you! Are the Pentacostals the ones with the updo? I was raised Freewill Baptist. They washed one another's feet. To this day I don't understand that, as I was a kid and thankfully not involved in such activity! I'm just an outspoken, never-was-humble (but there's no place like home!), all around humorist. Secular in belief. Pragmatist by nature. And I keep my own feet clean, thank you. It's hard to offend me, so I hope to hell I don't offend you either! And I like you enough to go through this here word verification. I'm an Okie, by the way. And I still talk like one!
Brenda

DP Nguyen said...

Wow! thanks for the info. I'm kinda afraid to touch any unknown plants. Yikes.

Eve said...

Oh, Lordie, don't tell my I forgot to turn off that word verification on my blog over there. I will check that out. I hate that too.

I can't be offended easily. I just have too many warts. If you are going to be riddled with warts, you can't afford to be sensitive if someone points one out. LOL

To me, being Pentacostal just means I have had the pentacostal experience as in Acts Chap. 10. I don't belong to any church as a member but I am a follower of Jesus. I don't do updos. I have no idea why they do that! But if they like it.....

Eve said...

Thanks Brenda. I just got rid of it on all three of my blogs. And all this time, I didn't appreciate what you guys went through to read my blogs. I should be beat with a cat of nine tails. : )

I though I had changed that the day I made the blogs.

Anonymous said...

Eve, I sat through dinner just now hoping to heck I did not offend you. Sometimes my humor gets mistaken for something it wasn't meant to be! I myself have warts. Many of them. Can hardly look myself in the mirror. Please take my off-the-wall comments in the nature for which they were meant: which is all in fun and friendship. I sure don't mean to be a pill! And I would have emailed you, but couldn't find it. I have a college degree and couldn't find my ass in a bucket!
Brenda

Skeeter said...

I added an Oleander to the garden last year after seeing it in landscapes all over GA and SC.. It almost died on me this spring but is making a slow comeback.

I dont read books but for some reason I felt compelled to read the book “White Oleander” after watching an episode of Oprah and her book club. The Saint was in Bosnia with his Company supporting the military on a mission. I was alone in Germany and decided to take up reading. That was one of several books I read that year he was gone. Me and my cat on the balcony surrounded by flower planters and the Sunshine… I had never heard of oleander until that book. The plot was poisoning a spouse with Oleander! I believe they made a movie from the book…

Eve said...

The movie has the same name as the book. It was a 1999 movie with Renee Zellweger and Michelle Pfeiffer.

A Wild Thing said...

Beautiful plants like this make me really homesick for the gardens of Florida. I had a blast with the plantings and the variety down there, coming from the Midwest, I was in hog heaven.

sharon

tina said...

I have most of the plants you listed in my garden. Datura as well. Funny thing is, the bugs aren't bothered at all when eating these poisonous but very pretty things!

cinnamongirl93 said...

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I hope you come and visit my blog again!

Eve said...

Thanks cinnamongirl. I will visit again. I love to knit, just haven't done it in a while.

Renna said...

I appreciate this post. I'd never given thought to poisenous plants in my yard! I'll check my state's list.

All throughout the holiday season each year, our church has potted poinsettias sitting around the sanctuary where many small tots run and play after service. I better check out if that's safe or not!