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| Poison Ivy nestled at the base of my tree! |
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I walked beside the patch and
brushed my ankle through small leaves.
First contact. Not the last. |
I say 'outside' because there are many house plants that are poisonous; aloe vera, amaryllis, datura plants (e.g.,Angel's Trumpet),
Dieffenbachia.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Water parsnip
Whilst most of us don't play in marshes and ponds, I've come across another poisonous plant.
I should have known. Water parsnip.
They are similar to Wild parsnip, and I began getting another poisonous rash reaction.
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Pretty white flowers,
poisonous plant: Water parsnip |
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Wild parsnip
Yellow flowers |
I have come to the conclusion that any plants with hollow stems seem to be poisonous around here. In last year's drought, the
Water parsnip gained a foothold in the middle of my dry marsh and frog pond.
Holy smoke: another poisonous plant! It looks like Queen Anne's Lace, but it is yellow.
We all know about
Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac and Poison Oak.
Leaves of three, let them be!
From Hiking Tips: The oil, urushiol, is found in all parts of these three plants: stems, leaves, berries and roots. The oil remains even when the plant is dormant or dead.
I can attest to this.
The skin rashes don't come up for 3 - 6 weeks after initial contact. And the next contact, if you happen to get another contact (silly me!), the skin rash is worse. My mistake was forgetting the gloves I'd used to rip out plants. I used the gloves later and got the oil on me.
You can read my full story here. City girl in the country, with city doctors and contact dermatitis!
You can use Calamine Lotion in a mild case. The trick is in keeping away from it or washing it off immediately once you realize you've been in contact with it.
MECC sells a product that removes the oil: A skin and clothing cleanser. It didn't work for me, as I didn't realize until too late, and had the invisible oil on my gloves! Once that oil gets into your nervous system you are doomed.
In an extreme case, you'll need to see a physician, I saw 4. I was on three different Rx. skin creams, with increasing levels of efficacy. It wasn't until the superduper steroid that it killed it off.
One of the worst: Giant Hogweed
Like poison ivy, they are hard to get rid of, are
very toxic, and give terrible skins reactions. I first wrote about this in July, 2010:
This specimen was found in Bala and Port Carling in Muskoka, Ontario. Near Weismuller's. You can't miss it.
The seeds are spread by birds, of course. Bless their little souls - as they are immune!
The sun causes the reaction, and much care is required. It causes phytophotodermatitis. Within 24 hours you will get large blisters and emergency care may be required. Phytophototoxicity is amplified by humidity and perspiration. The blisters peak between 1 to 3 days.
For more information on identifying or removing giant hogweed, call the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711, or visit InvadingSpecies.com or WeedInfo.ca.
Kids use it as a hollow toy, like bamboo; it has a large and hollow stem. I heard of one employer requesting staff to remove them, but said staff member didn't know about its toxicity and ended up with terrible health issues.
White Baneberry
White Baneberry.. or Doll's Eyes. It's highly poisonous for people, cats and dogs. The birds do fine with it.
There are many outdoor plants that are similarly poisonous and I've found a new one:
Marsh Marigold
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| March Marigold |
I've lived in Lanark County for two years, and I am finding new ones that are poisonous if eaten raw. This pretty little plant sits in our wetland, just off The Point. Isn't it sweet?!
This plant is quite happy in our wetland. I didn't notice it last year, but it is striking in the green of the new spring growth.
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| Isn't it pretty?! But toxic when raw. |
Caltha palustris perennial herbaceous plant of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) native to wetlands in Europe and North America.
Marsh marigolds, also known as “king cups,” are semi-aquatic plants, widely cultivated in the wetter, more acidic corners of Nova Scotian gardens.
