Skin irritation

Though seemingly inoffensive, some plants can be a real danger to humans and animals if digested, including some of the ornamental plants. Some might even represent a threat in other ways, like the Manchineel tree during rainfall when it leaks a milky substance highly toxic to skin and when burning, the resulting smoke causing possible blindness.

One of the commonly known ornamental plants is Wisteria, which enchants with beautiful blooms but is entirely toxic, excluding the flowers; but even ingesting these is not recommended.

Some others are Daffodils, with poisonous bulbs that could lead to death if digested and calcium oxalate in its sap leading to “daffodil itch” and Foxglove a very pretty plant used in cardiac medicine, but if ingested it can lead to nausea, delirium, severe headache and even hart block among others.

The Chinaberry is no “saint” either; its fruit is used to make rosemary or beads, but if ingested, this plant with insecticidal leaves may lead to death in 24 h.

The beautiful Yellow Jessamine is sometimes confused with honeysuckle; yellow Jessamine poisoning is often fatal, its nectar can cause brood death in bees and even its sap might cause skin irritation to those with sensitive skin.

A known poisonous ornamental plant is the Deadly Night Shade, a beautiful night-loving plant known for its properties. The Greeks used it for hallucination and torture, Nepal for sedative, Moroccans for memory and as aphrodisiac and drug dealers as enhancement for marijuana.

These plants should be used only as ornaments and it is well to know about them, as in the case of the Manchineel tree so that you would know how to avoid dangers.

brood death, insecticidal leaves, ornamental plants, poisonous ornamental plant, sensitive skin, skin irritation

Gardening