Unless we’re careful, it’s easy to think our own gardens are the safest place, but “safe” can be a dangerous word. Before there were any people (or pets) around, plants was making themselves chemically defended; some defense mechanisms make us drool, others give us an upset stomach. Others kill us.
A little bit of toxin can make the difference between no problem at all and a true medical crisis, and that’s where thinking about risk comes in. The chart up top categorizes risk levels by band, from mildly irritating to potentially fatal emergencies. Guessing doesn’t work so well here; categorization do.
How to Keep Your Garden Safe
Green is green right? Wrong. Not all green stuff presents the same risk. An Oleander shrub next to your driveway poses a greater threat then a Pothos hanging in your living room does. But one will only cause mouth irritation, which is remedied with water. The other may cause a disruption of heart rhythm in a matter of hours. Understanding the difference will save you time once panic sets in.
The guide divides severe risks, such as the seeds from the sago palm, from milder ones, such as houseplants containing oxalates. That’s not to say you should dial up poison control every time someone takes a nibble, but rather be able to identify plant that warrant a trip to nearest clinic ASAP.
That timeline of exposure lead many people to make errors. Most often, a child or pet bites off piece of plant, and we want to make them vomit or just wait and see. Both are bad ideas. Instead, remove from exposure first; second, rinse in the mouth if it is safe. Third, identify the plant (a photo of berry or leaf is preferable to a guess). Fourth, call the right hotline (telling them how much was ingested and the subject’s weight) and take a sample if possible. This order turns chaos into simple steps so that well-meant home remedies don’t make things worse.
Certain plants are so treacherous they shouldn’t be planted anywhere. The most toxic ones include Castor beans, Oleander, foxgloves, Yews, water hemlock, and True Lilies (for cats), among others. They aren’t handled carefuly. They’re excluded. The chart above rates those highly toxic species to eliminate any guesswork.
And if such plants are in your landscape, where there’s danger, there should be a barrier. Physical, not wishful thinking. True Lilies in particular are especially hazardous to cats; even a tiny amount of pollen can cause their kidneys to fail. Severity isn’t the only consideration, sensitivity matter, too. One small dose can do permanent harm.
The location. It’s as important as identity of the issue itself. Indoor cats, bored and stressed, chew on houseplants. Which can be dangerous. And outdoor dogs may dig up bulbs or eat the shrubs in the yard. Places where they are more likely to run into problems. Small children check out all things at nose height so anything that grows low down is fair game. If you have livestock, it’s even more important: The pasture containing wild toxic plants becomes hazardous. Knowing where your patient hangs out means knowing first where to focus on keeping them out. You can’t fence the whole world; but you can manage the surroundings closest to home.
Telling human-critical plants from pet-critical ones is crucial. Dogs struggle with grapes and sago seeds; cats have it bad for lilies. Roots masquerading as veg can be lethal to humans (particularly small children); so can berries that resembles treats. A plant forager might confuse a harmless-looking hemlock for wild parsnips. A green that resembles an edible weed may actualy be in the nightshade family. Mistakes in this way can be deadly. You can understand why; they are bland-tasting and harmless-looking, until you don’t know better. That’s the trick.
First: Tag all the plants you introduce to your garden, and also to the interior of your house. Unidentified wood is a risky thing. Don’t let poisonous foliage within easy reach become a chewy treat; wash up after cutting back to prevent getting sap in your mouth or eyes. If it’s okay to do so, remove stray leaf pieces with water. Avoid putting nightshade cuttings where kids might find them, and keep attractive berries inaccessible. It helps create a zone of protection that doesn’t rely on memory.
It isn’t about being afraid, it’s about knowing. And once you do know what to watch out for, the garden’s yours again, enjoy! Again, it’s really simple: Toxins away, beauties nearby. And if you don’t know, label and wash, wash, wash. Better to err on the side of caution than learn the hard way. After all, this is your garden, where you want to relax… Not tread a minefield. Armed with the correct info, you could of had beauty AND safety.