HEALTH AND SAFETY
GARDEN HAZARDS
Are poisonous
plants lurking in
your backyard?
KONDININ GROUP
Your garden is a safe haven
for you and your family, but as
Pamela Lawson found out, some
common garden plants can result
in a number of nasty ailments and
irritations if ingested or touched.
Identifying problem plants is the
key to ensuring the health and
safety of your family — especially
children — who are most at risk.
At a glance
Every year hundreds of Australians
are admitted to hospital with
plant poisoning.
Common garden plants can be
poisonous to humans or result
in irritation. Such plants include
oleander, palms and cacti.
Common symptoms of plant
poisoning include vomiting,
stomach cramps, burning of the
lips, mouth or throat, itching, rash
or allergic symptoms.
Familiarise yourself with the
plants in your garden and the
risks they pose to
human health.
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is supported by Wesfarmers
Federation Insurance.
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FREECALL 1800 677 761
Many plants commonly found in Australian
gardens and parks are poisonous or capable
of causing a highly allergic reaction in
many people, especially children. While
few do lasting harm, many plants need to
be treated with care and respect and avoided
if possible.
Hundreds of people per year are admitted
to Australian hospitals with plant poisoning,
mainly in the 0–4 years old age group.
Unfortunately about 100 plants poisonous
and dangerous to humans are readily
available for sale in Australian plant
nurseries and nearly half of these are
regarded as being invasive if they escape
into the broader environment.
Most at risk
Children that are crawling or toddling,
especially around one year of age, are most
at risk of poisoning by eating bits of a plant.
From a very young age, children need to be
taught not to eat anything straight from a
plant or bush, and known poisonous or
dangerous plants in gardens should be
fenced off or removed. The Australian
branch of the World Wildlife Fund is
pushing for a national mandatory garden
plant labelling code to be implemented that
highlights plants poisonous to humans and
pets in a similar way to the warnings used
on household products and medicines.
Adults are more likely to be at risk from
asthma attacks or skin and eye allergies
caused by various plants if pruning or
handling them. Some, such as oleander
(Nerium oleander), can even cause irritation
if cuttings from the bush are burnt and the
smoke accidentally inhaled.
Classic symptoms
Common symptoms from poisoning from
plants include vomiting, stomach cramps,
burning of the lips, mouth or throat, itching,
rash or allergic symptoms. More severe
effects can include an irregular heartbeat
Photo: Pamela Lawson
Pamela Lawson
and convulsions or fitting. The severity of
the symptoms will vary according to the type
of plant eaten or touched and the amount
ingested and the size of the patient.
First aid measures
If a person has been exposed to something
poisonous or harmful, first aid measures
include:
• For skin contact, gently wash the skin
with clear, cool water.
• For eye contact, irrigate the eye with clear,
cool water for 20 minutes.
• For swallowed plant material, remove any
remaining plant pieces and wash out the
mouth with water.
In all circumstances, telephone the
Poisons Information Centre on 131 126 for
further information. If the patient is having
difficulty breathing, is unconscious or
fitting, call an ambulance on 000. If possible,
take a piece of the plant to hospital to help
with identification. See overleaf for common
problem plants.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Visit www.farmingahead.com.au for a
comprehensive list of toxic plants found in
Australian gardens.
See July Farming Ahead for the first in a series
of articles on plant toxicity and their impacts
on livestock health.
Poisons Information Centre
131126
www.chw.edu.au/poisons/
World Wildlife Fund — Australia
www.wwf.org.au
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Children’s Hospital
at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital and
Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children’s
Health Network.
CONTACT Pamela Lawson
[email protected]
Farming Ahead June 2009 No. 209 www.farmingahead.com.au
13
HEALTH AND SAFETY
GARDEN HAZARDS
Common problem plants
poisonous or harmful plants in terms of
colour, shape, smell or taste. But generally,
plants with a bitter taste, strange smell,
milky sap or red seeds or berries may be
poisonous.
As a guide, poisonous or dangerous
plants can be broadly categorised into four
classes as:
1. Highly dangerous — avoid planting.
2. Avoid if children use the garden or area.
3. Poisonous — treat with caution.
4. Poisonous — but not usually a concern as
more difficult to ingest.
A selection of common plants that fit
into each of these categories are outlined in
detail below, but a more comprehensive list
of poisonous or dangerous plants found in
Australia and their effect on humans, pets
and livestock can be found on the Farming
Ahead website www.farmingahead.com.au.
Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia)
Poinsettia
This is a popular indoor plant which if
ingested can cause the mouth to become
highly irritated and swell. It will not do
permanent injury.
The sap of poinsettias is an irritant and
the leaves and seeds can cause delirium
if ingested.
Rhubarb leaves
Mushrooms and toadstools
While the stalks are edible, rhubarb
leaves contain a toxin poisonous to
humans, chickens and pet birds.
While usually not deliberately planted
in gardens, there are many highly toxic
species and it can be very difficult to tell
edible from inedible forms. Particularly
dangerous species include death caps
(which have caused deaths in the
Australian Capital Territory) and the very
attractive fly agaric (Amanita muscaria)
which is red with white spots. Fortunately
most highly toxic species are found in
forests or among trees rather than in
backyard gardens.
Rhubarb
Wisteria
Eating wisteria seeds, contained
in pods, can cause gastric pain and
vomiting.
Category 1: Highly poisonous or
allergenic plants.
Yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana)
Most parts of this plant are toxic,
except for the seeds, which are termed
very poisonous. The evergreen shrub has
yellow tubular flowers and is mainly found
in warm climates and coastal gardens. It
differs from the more common oleander
(Nerium oleander) although this species
too is poisonous.
Category 2: Plants to avoid when children
use the area.
Cactus and succulents with spines
The spines can be physically dangerous,
especially to eyes. Many species also have a
milky sap, which may cause skin allergies.
Chillies (especially hot varieties)
Photo: Pamela Lawson
Eating chillies is unlikely to be fatal for
children but very hot varieties can cause
much distress if ingested. They are also
usually brightly coloured and therefore
highly attractive to children.
Category 3: Poisonous, treat with caution
Angels trumpet or Jimsonweed
(Brugmansia)
All parts of this plant are toxic
and ingesting the flowers can cause
hallucinations.
Wisteria
Category 4: Poisonous but not usually a
concern
Cycads (palms)
The bright red and yellow seeds of this
plant are poisonous, although they can be
eaten but only after being leached of their
toxins and ground into flour.
Agapanthus, Amaryllis lilies,
daffodils and other narcissus and
Lily-of-the-valley
The bulbs or roots of these plants are
poisonous but are not usually an issue as
they are buried underground.
Grevilleas (especially ‘Robyn Gordon’)
Grevilleas can cause dermatitis but are
rarely dangerous unless being pruned or
propagated by cutting. Wear gloves when
handling to reduce direct skin contact.
Azaleas and rhododendrons
These plants are poisonous but only if
ingested in great quantities.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Foxgloves
All parts of this plant are toxic but taste
very bitter so are unlikely to be ingested.
Always wash your hands after pruning
oleanders as the sap can irritate skin and
eyes and avoid inhaling the smoke if
burning oleander prunings.
Oleander
14 Farming Ahead June 2009 No. 209 www.farmingahead.com.au
Photo: Pamela Lawson
Most people are very allergic to all
parts of this plant so care needs to be
taken by avoiding direct skin contact when
removing it. Rhus is also classified as a
weed in most areas.
Although poisonous, these plants
actually contain the heart medicine,
digitalis.
Arum lilies
All parts of the plant are poisonous,
including the bulbs.
Photo: Pamela Lawson
Rhus (Toxicodendron succedaneum)
Amanita muscaria
Arum lilies
Photo: Pamela Lawson
This weed may be associated with
asthma attacks and causing skin allergies. It
is seldom intentionally planted in gardens
but is often found in wastelands and along
footpaths, particularly around Sydney and
coastal NSW.
Photo: Kondinin Group
Asthma or stick weed (Parietaria judaica)
Chillis
Photo: Pamela Lawson
There are no classic characteristics of