Poisonous plants have always
been part of daily life. In the
nineteenth century, poisonings due to plants reached near-epidemic
levels as
people often foraged for sources of food from natural plantings. Today,
potentially dangerous plants can still be found all around us. Poisonous
plants
are frequently part of interiorscapes in homes as well as in landscape
plantings
outdoors. This fact sheet discusses why plants are poisonous, the
importance of
plant identification in cases of plant poisoning, and provides
suggestions for
prevention of plant poisonings.
All types of native and
introduced plants can be poisonous
including ferns, herbaceous plants, woody shrubs, and trees. Identifying
plants
that are poisonous is difficult since poisonous plants do not appear
distinctly
different from their nontoxic relatives or counterparts. Many poisonous
plants
have such unpleasant tastes that most adults don’t chew them for very
long
before spitting them out. However, some poisonous plants are not
distasteful and
can even be sweet and, if eaten in large quantity, can cause serious
problems.
The most important thing: DO NOT PANIC, just act quickly.
-
Remove any plant parts from the person’s mouth.
-
Give the person a small amount of water to drink.
-
Immediately CALL CONNECTICUT POISON CONTROL CENTER (1-800-222-1222), your local hospital, or your local police department (911).
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Try to IDENTIFY the plant that was eaten.
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OBTAIN A SAMPLE of the plant; this should be as complete a sample as possible. This includes all of the parts of the plant that are available at the time: flowers, fruits or berries, leaves, and twigs.
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FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS FROM POISON CONTROL.
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BRING THE PLANT SAMPLE with you when taking the victim for medical treatment.
Source: Poisonous Plants, By Dr. Sharon M. Douglas, Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
