Poisonous and toxic plants!

Nerium oleader

I'm going to post the important part at the top of this post for quick access:

If you suspect your child or pet has ingested any plant or plant part which you feel may be toxic, or they are showing any signs of poisoning: nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat or dizziness.

• Call 998 (UAE) for the ambulance services

• Collect a sample of what was eaten or believed to have been eaten, and hand this to the medical responders when they arrive

• Stay as calm as possible and keep the patient calm as well, being in an agitated state can result in secondary issues such as hyperventilating or panic attacks

I'm often asked if a particular plant is toxic or poisonous to pets or children.

I'm not an expert on plant toxicology, but I have collected a fair amount of information regarding commonly used (and locally available) plants that may be or are toxic.

Plant toxicology is a complex subject, and sometimes even very authoritative publications will differ on how toxic a plant is; Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a perfect example, you can type "Is Oleander poisonous?" into a search engine and get hundreds of different answers, even peer-reviewed articles that differ.

The toxic effects of some plants are well documented, whereas others, due to the widely varying symptoms and circumstances of the “poisonings” are more confused and mixed in folklore and urban myth.

I always offer a caveat when providing an answer:

• Toxic or allergic reactions depend on many variables (including but not limited to): the age and mass of the person involved, the physical health of the person, body stress, the amount of a substance that has been ingested (did they chew and spit it out, did they swallow it and if so how much did they consume), any medical predisposition (allergies), what part of the plant was eaten; some plants can have toxic seeds, others the leaves are toxic, others the bulbs or roots, other all parts are toxic ... the list can go on and on.

• Some plants are toxic to animals, but not humans, and vice versa

Why are some plants poisonous and others not?

Plant toxins are produced as a defense mechanism against attacks by insects as well as animals. Toxins can be concentrated in the entire plant or simply in areas of the plant that would be most vulnerable to attack in the plant's natural habitat (leaves, flowers, roots/ bulbs, stems, bark, and plant sap).

A few well-known and toxic plant Families to be wary of include (bearing in mind that not all of the plants may be toxic):

• Solanaceae, all members of this family should be considered toxic. This is a large family and includes such familiar plants as Capsicum annuum (Peppers – Green, Red, and Chilli’s), Lycopersicon (Tomato), Solanum tuberosum (Potato), Solanum melongena (Aubergine), Solanum jasminoides (Potato creeper), Datura, Nicotiana, Petunia, Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry) and the colorful pot plant Solanum pseudocapsicum (Jerusalem cherry).

• Members of the succulent plant family Euphorbiaceae such as Euphorbia (Poinsettia and others), Acalypha, Croton, Jatropha, and Ricinus (Castor oil plant) contain a milky sap which can cause dermatitis if they come into contact with the skin and severe inflammation if it gets into the eye. However, Ricinus is almost in a class of its own; the seeds are highly toxic, a few being enough to cause death.

• Araceae is a large family of plants characterized by medium to broad leaves that have fleshy herbaceous leaf stems. Many of them are used as indoor plants due to their adaptability to low light conditions; these in no particular order include: Dieffenbachia (Dumb cane), Alocasia (Elephant’s ear), Arum and Zantedeschia (Calla and Arum lilies both common cut flowers), Monstera (Delicious monster), Philodendron, Epipremnum (Scindapsis a common hanging plant), Syngonium, Anthurium (Flamingo lily). Most of these will cause swelling of the tongue or throat if ingested and severe inflammation or irritation of the eye from the sap. Ingesting Dieffenbachia can be fatal as the sap can result in asphyxiation due to severe swelling.

• Apocynaceae, which includes: Adenium (Desert rose) a common plant to these parts, Allamanda (Golden trumpet vine), Nerium oleander (Oleander – very common), Plumeria (Frangipani) and Thevetia peruviana (commonly known as the Yellow oleander).

• Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae. These three monocotyledon families are characterized by plants with strap-like leaves and flowers that are borne on stalks that originate from the center of the plant. Most of them are bulbous; in almost all cases the bulbs are poisonous. Sometimes these plants appear in the home as cut flowers or pot plants (Iris, St. Joseph’s Lilly, Tulip, Daffodils, and Amaryllis). The flowers, seeds, flower stems and leaves should be considered poisonous.

Toxic/ poisonous plants that may produce allergic reactions which are commonly found in the UAE and Gulf include:

Acalypha hispida

Outdoor shrub with hanging red flowers. Dermatitis and irritation of ingested

Adenium multiflorum and Adenium obesum

Desert Rose, is an outdoor succulent shrub. All parts of the plant should be considered toxic

Ageratum houstonianum

Common winter seasonal plant. Leaves, stems and flowers should be treated as toxic

Allamanda cathartica

Golden trumpet vine, with bright yellow flowers. Fruit is reportedly toxic

Alocasia macrorrhiza

Elephant’s ear is a common indoor plant with large fleshy leaves. All parts of the plant should be considered toxic. Sap can cause eye irritation or even permanent eye damage

Amaryllis

Common indoor pot plants are often sold in bulb form. Bulbs, seeds, flower stalks, and leaves are all to be considered poisonous

Azadirachta indica

Neem tree. Very commonplace in the UAE. The seeds are used to distill Neem oil, which is used as an insecticide. The seed of the tree should be considered poisonous

Begonia spp.

Common seasonal plants and indoor pot plants. Particularly tuberous rooted begonia, leaves can cause dermatitis, and stems could be poisonous

Brugmansia spp.

The Moonflower is a large outdoor shrub with large pendulous white flowers. All parts of the plant should be considered toxic

Caesalpinia gilliesii

Bird of paradise, a common shrub around the UAE with red-orange or yellow flowers

Capsicum annuum

Peppers, chili

Fruit of these colorful plants can cause extreme pain and burning – even blistering

Catharanthus roseus

Vinca, a common seasonal. The leaves and stems of the plant should be considered toxic

Cestrum spp.

Queen of the Night, common scented shrub. Leaves, stems and berries should be considered poisonous

Chrysanthemum spp.

Common indoor pot plants and cut flowers. Green leaves can cause nausea and vomiting

Clivia miniata

Not very common in the UAE, but is well-known as an indoor pot plant. The leaves and roots of the plant should be considered toxic

Consolida ambigua

Larkspur and Delphiniums, better known as cut flowers in the UAE. Seeds of the plant

Cotyledon spp.

Succulent indoor pot plant. Are known to be toxic to stock/ cattle and should be treated with caution

Crassula spp.

Indoor pot plant and outdoor succulent. Are known to be toxic to stock/ cattle and should be treated with caution

Croton spp.

Indoor pot plants with colorful foliage. Leaves and stems can cause severe diarrhea

Cyclamen

Indoor pot plant. Bulb, seed, flower stalk, and leaves are all to be considered poisonous

Datura spp.

Outdoor shrubs, although Banned in the UAE, plants are known to be found. Same as Brugmansia spp.

Dieffenbachia spp.

Dumb cane. Widespread indoor pot plant. Stems, leaves, and sap of the plant should be treated with care

Epipremnum aureum

Money plant. Common indoor trailing or climbing plant with heart-shaped leaves. Leaves and stems of the plant should be treated with care

Euphorbia spp.

Numerous indoor plant cultivars including Poinsettia, as well as a number of succulent and herbaceous outdoor varieties. Sap is a skin and eye irritant and poisonous if ingested. Leaves and stems should be treated with caution

Ficus spp.

Widespread in and outdoor plant varieties are used widely throughout the Gulf. Known for their sticky, milky sap which causes eye irritation

Hedera helix

Common English Ivy, a known skin irritant, is mainly grown in the UAE as an indoor plant. Dermatitis

Hyacinth

Indoor heavily scented bulbous flowers are normally found in shops in summer and early winter. Leaves and bulbs should be considered poisonous

Jatropha spp.

Outdoor shrubs with well-known clusters of five-pointed red star-shaped flowers. Leaves, stem and flowers should be considered highly toxic

Lantana camara

Common outdoor shrub, multi-colored flowers on one bush, with a distinct smell. Dermatitis, green berries are poisonous

Lilium spp.

St. Joseph’s Lilly is a common and popular cut flower. Bulb, seed, flower stalk, and leaves are all to be considered poisonous. Pollen can cause staining of fabric and is a severe allergen to some

Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Tomato plant, unripe fruit. Green parts of the plant are to be considered toxic

Lythyrus odoratus

Sweet pea, a winter flowering annual. Not very common in the UAE, but is occasionally grown from seed. Green seeds and dried seeds are poisonous

Monstera deliciosa

Delicious monster, a common indoor pot plant. Sap can cause severe eye irritation

Nerium oleander

Oleander is very common throughout the UAE and Gulf with strongly scented blooms. All parts of the plant to be considered dangerous if ingested

Nicotiana spp.

A common winter seasonal plant and is closely related to the Tobacco plant. Most parts of the plant should be considered highly toxic

Philodendron spp.

A common indoor pot plant with roughly heart-shaped leaves. Leaves and stems, can cause severe burning of the tongue and lips, but not fatal

Plumeria obtusa

Frangipani. Very common in local gardens. Large, white, scented flowers. The sap causes eye irritation and can be poisonous if ingested

Plumeria rubra

Frangipani. Very common in local gardens. White and cream flowers. The sap causes eye irritation and can be poisonous if ingested

Ricinus communis

Castor oil plant. Seeds are extremely poisonous and the plant is banned in the UAE

Schefflera actinophylla

The Umbrella plant is a very common indoor container plant. Can cause contact dermatitis

Solanum jasminoides

Potato creeper with small round, flat blue or white flowers. Although only poisoning has been reported in cattle it should be treated with care

Solanum melongena

Aubergine or Brinjal. Leaves and stems of the plant

Solanum pseudocapsicum

Jerusalem cherry is a common and popular indoor plant with bright orange-red berries. Foliage, stems and fruit should be considered toxic

Solanum tuberosum

Common Potato plant. Leaves and green tubers

Syngonium spp.

Common houseplant with soft heart-shaped leaves. Leaves, stems, and sap

Thevetia peruviana

Yellow oleander is commonly used in street planting and as hedging. One of the most toxic plants in the UAE. All parts of the plant especially the seed are toxic. Thevetia is not directly related to Nerium Oleander

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Arum lily is a common cut flower. Stem, bulb, and sap

Teaching children not to taste, play with or eat non-food plants both indoors and outdoors is an important lesson; better still, avoiding certain houseplants while children are of an inquisitive age is probably the simplest and safest solution.