Facts About Holiday Plants

With the holidays fast approaching, and a facebook post from my cousin who owns a huge plant nursery, I thought I'd look up the truth about holiday plants. After doing my research, this is what I came up with.

My home is now, sadly plant-free because those I had were poisonous if ingested and Kenna would not leave them alone. The plants we had that were not a risk, I managed to kill off one-by-one.

Amaryllis and Daffodils - Poisonous

An amaryllis bulb is a beautiful holiday flower given often as Christmas gifts. Amaryllis, daffodil, and narcissus bulbs can be forced indoors to produce the flowers. Eating the bulbs (and leaves, though they are less toxic) can cause abdominal pain, cardiac arrhythmias, and convulsions. The plants are more likely to be eaten by pets than children, but the alkaloid poison lycorine is considered toxic to humans, too.

Christmas Trees - Depending on the Tree

Cedars, pines, and firs are very mildly toxic. The biggest concern is the possibility of puncturing part of the gastrointestinal tract from eating needles, though the tree oils may cause irritation of the mouth and skin. Toxicity might be affected by whether the tree had been sprayed with a flame retardant. People don't usually eat Christmas trees. Even a dog is unlikely to eat enough of the tree to cause a problem. ---- It's been our experience with 6 kids, that the tree isn't the problem...little hands are more interested in all the pretty lights and ornaments on the tree...and one our daughters left the whole tree alone, opting instead to take all the name tags off the packages under the tree instead. Talk about a confusing mess to fix?  :)

Cyclamen - Poisonous

Cyclamen (Primulaceae) is a flowering plant. Cyclamen tubers contain triterpinoidsaponins, which can cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and paralysis. This plant is more of a concern for pets than humans. In fact, some cyclamen cultivars are favored for their delicate flavor and use in tea (but, please, none in my tea).

Holly - Poisonous

A child can eat 1-2 holly berries (Ilex) without harm, but around 20 berries can cause death, so eating holly berries is a serious concern for children and pets. Though the berries are the part that is most commonly eaten, the bark, leaves, and seeds are toxic. The toxin is theobromine, an alkaloid that is related to caffeine and is also found in chocolate (toxic to dogs), but there is much more of the compound in holly berries.

Jerusalem Cherry - Poisonous

The Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) is a species of nightshade that bears poisonous fruit. The primary poison is the alkaloid solanocapsine, which can cause gastric upset and vomiting in people, but generally is not life-threatening. However, the fruits are extremely toxic to dogs and cats and some birds. The fruit resembles a cherry tomato, both in appearance and flavor, so kids and pets may eat enough to cause illness, or in the case of pets, even death.

Mistletoe - Poisonous (I Use a Fake Sprig)

Mistletoe is a name given to several plants, all of which can be dangerous. Phoradendron species contain a toxin called phoratoxin, which can cause blurred vision, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood pressure changes, and even death. The Viscum species contain a different mix of chemicals, including the poisonous alkaloid tyramine, which produce similar symptoms. All parts of the mistletoe plant are poisonous, though it is the berries that may attract kids. Eating 1-2 berries probably will not cause a problem for a child, but a small pet could be endangered by eating a few leaves or berries. If your child or pet eats mistletoe, it's a good idea to immediately seek medical advice.

Poinsettia - Not as Bad as I Thought

The poinsettia is not something you want to purposely eat, but this Euphorbia is not particularly dangerous. If a few leaves are eaten, you may feel ill or even vomit. Rubbing the sap from the plant into your skin may give you an itchy rash.