Dangerous Plants: A Common Problem for Gardeners, Children & Pets
Online, August 4, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The statistics are surprising: at least 70% of all plants in a temperate climate are considered "dangerous," and that number is even higher for tropical plants, including houseplants. Some of the offenders are simply a nuisance, but others are deadly. What is so shocking is that most people are entirely unaware of the potential danger, and retail nurseries sell these plants with no warning label.
A new downloadable booklet, "Beware of Poisonous Plants in Home & Garden" (AnswerGirls $1), alerts parents, teachers, gardeners and pet owners to the danger lurking in most backyards. This booklet is available exclusively from www.AnswerGirls.com. The author shared these tips:
"It's true that any plant can cause a problem-you could trip over a pine tree root, or choke on a green bean. But some plants are clearly more dangerous than others. And some simply should not be in yards where children and pets play.
Take the decorative English Yew, with deep green needles and brilliant red "arils" (resembling berries). Its picture-book beauty is a deadly lure: most parts are deadly, and it would take very little plant material to fatally poison a child.
There are many different ways plants can injure. Some, such as spurges, contain sap that causes blisters. Leaves of the rhubarb plant produce sharp crystals inside the body which leave internal damage. And everyone knows about poison oak or poison ivy, but not everyone recognizes these plants.
The first step is to identify landscape and house plants and to know where the danger lies. Babysitters and pet sitters should be given a detailed plant map and the phone number for Poison Control throughout the US: 1-800-222-1222."
To learn about the dangers of plants and how to prevent plant poisoning, download "Beware of Poisonous Plants in Home & Garden" at www.AnswerGirls.com/garden1.html.
