
There are plants with which you need to be careful when keeping them in the home
Decorating with plants is one of the ways of arranging the living space. However, caution is needed because some plants can be wrong and fatal to health. American physician and toxicologist Kelly Johnson-Arbor (from Washington DC) claims that 10% of calls to poison centers involve human exposure to plants.
- Oleander is one of the plants that you should be careful with. The plant is attractive because of its beautiful flowering and ease of maintenance. However, this is a flower that should never be eaten by humans or animals. Doctor Johnson-Arbor explains: “This plant contains glycosides that can cause severe poisoning when consumed.” Consumption of this plant causes low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fainting, headaches and even death. A report from 2001 states that taking just one leaf of the plant can be fatal for children.
- Digitalis- this plant also contains glycosides. This is a plant that blooms every other year. The doctor notes that the leaves of the plant are incredibly similar to baby spinach in the years when there is no flowering. There have been a number of reports of individuals experiencing health problems (nausea, vomiting, and abnormally slow heartbeats) after consuming the leaves or using the leaves to make a tea. Fortunately, there is an antidote if a person has been exposed. It is also necessary to immediately seek professional medical help.
- Philodendron – this is a popular and easy to maintain plant. Contains oxalate crystals that can cause toxicity if touched or consumed. Crystals can cause mouth pain, swelling, painful swallowing and runny nose – if chewed or swallowed. Exposure of the eyes or skin to this plant juice can cause irritation and redness.
- Dieffenbachia- is a plant that has the same defense mechanism of oxalate crystals as philodendron. Ingestion of the plant and parts of the plant may cause speech difficulties or loss of speech. The symptoms are scary (after taking this herb) but there are rare cases where a person will need medical help.
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctors/kelly-krisna-johnson-arbor-md
Very useful info – it can help a lot of us.
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Dear Ruudi,
Many thanks for your friendly and confirmatory comment. Yes, we all learn with every new day. Wishing you very best. Amela
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