Table of contents:
- Poisoning: plants
- What should be considered when dealing with plants?
- What are the symptoms of plant poisoning?
- What to do after ingesting poisonous plants
- Which plants in the home and garden are poisonous?
- Which food plants can be poisonous?
Video: Poisoning: Plants (including Ornamental And Food Plants)
2024 Author: Wallace Forman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-31 12:57
Poisoning: plants
Poisoning by plants or plant components arises on the one hand as a result of mix-ups or ignorance. On the other hand, they often affect children who taste parts of plants while playing or while exploring their natural surroundings.
Plants or parts of plants can be found not only in the great outdoors, but also in your own garden or balcony and in your home, which can cause symptoms of poisoning when consumed. It is therefore important to know which plants are in the household, because this is the only way to assess the risk in the worst-case scenario.
Some fruit, vegetable or berry plants that are used as food can also cause symptoms - either through incorrect preparation or through eating the wrong parts or too large a quantity.
If poisoning is suspected, the following applies in any case: Contact the poisoning information center +43 (0) 1 406 43 43 early to assess the risk.
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- more on the subject
- What should be considered when dealing with plants?
- What are the symptoms of plant poisoning?
- ">What to do after ingesting poisonous plants ">
- Which plants in the home and garden are poisonous?
- Which food plants can be poisonous?
What should be considered when dealing with plants?
- Never consume plants, parts of plants, berries or other fruits that are unknown to you.
- Only consume plants you have picked yourself if you are very knowledgeable.
- Especially in households with children, the following applies: Inquire carefully about your own plants. Do not use highly poisonous plants in the garden, on the balcony or in the apartment (e.g. autumn crocus, monkshood, angel's trumpet, yew). Labeling the plants is particularly helpful.
- Place plants generally out of the reach of children.
- Children are particularly attracted to plants that bear brightly colored berries or fruits, and they are happy to taste them.
- Many poisonous parts of plants and fruits do not taste good; children usually do not eat very much of them or spit them out again. The amount taken is usually small and the most common symptoms are mild, such as nausea or vomiting.
- The situation is different if large quantities of a poisonous plant are consumed (e.g. mistaking wild garlic with autumn crocus or lily of the valley). There are also some highly poisonous plants where a small amount is enough to trigger severe symptoms.
- The toxicity of a plant or the respective effect depends not only on the amount consumed, but can also be influenced by the time of year (ripe or immature) or the type of ingestion (sucked, chewed, etc.).
- The type of preparation can also cause poisoning: Consuming raw plants is usually less dangerous than consuming them, for example as a smoothie or tea. In the case of unknown or exotic plant-based foods, you should therefore inquire beforehand about the necessary preparation method!
What are the symptoms of plant poisoning?
Accidental ingestion of small amounts of poisonous plants or parts of plants leads to irritation of the mucous membranes, increased salivation, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Skin contact can also cause reddening, itching or blistering.
With larger amounts or after ingestion of highly poisonous plants, further complaints can arise, such as swelling of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat area (caution: danger of suffocation!), Sweating, tremors, cardiac arrhythmias, dizziness and drowsiness up to loss of consciousness.
What to do after ingesting poisonous plants
If you accidentally eat a small amount of plant parts or berries:
- Rinse mouth with water,
- drink water in sips,
- in no case induce vomiting!
- If possible: take a few branches with leaves and berries of the plant with you, have them determined in a nursery or in a flower shop.
- Contact the poison information center on +43 (0) 1 406 43 43 and give the name of the plant to assess the risk. State as precisely as possible: the name of the plant, which part (whole plant, a leaf, a berry etc.) and how much was eaten as well as the type of ingestion (chewed, swallowed, spat out etc.).
- In the event of eye contact: rinse carefully under running water for about ten minutes; if symptoms persist, have an ophthalmologist check it.
- In case of skin contact: rinse with water and soap; allergic reactions are possible.
Which plants in the home and garden are poisonous?
Below are examples of slightly to highly poisonous plants that are commonly found in homes and gardens.
Not or only slightly poisonous plants
Ingestion of small amounts of the following plants is usually harmless:
Houseplants | |
German name |
Latin name |
Weeping fig | Ficus benjamina |
Rubber tree | Ficus elastica |
orchid | Phalaenopsis amabilis |
Ray aralia | Schefflera |
Christmas cactus | Schlumbergera |
Garden plants | |
German name |
Latin name |
Chinese lantern flower | Physalis alkekengi |
ivy | Hedera helix |
buckeye | Aesculus hippocastanum |
Mock strawberry | Fragaria indica |
Rowan, mountain ash | Sorbus aucuparia |
Wild Wine | Parthenocissus quinquefolium |
First aid:
- If swallowed, rinse out mouth, then drink water, never induce vomiting.
- In the event of symptoms or any uncertainty, contact the Poison Information Center on +43 (0) 1 406 43 43 to assess the risk.
- If symptoms are severe, dial 144.
Plants with moderate toxicity
If small amounts of the following plants are swallowed, irritations of the mucous membranes or gastrointestinal complaints are possible:
Houseplants | |
German name |
Latin name |
Amaryllis family | e.g. Amaryllis belladonna |
Tree friend | Philodendron |
Dieffenbachia | Dieffenbachia |
Efeutute | Epipremnum aureum, Scindapsus aureus |
A leaf | Spathiphyllum |
Flamingo flower | Anthurium andreanum |
Lucky feather | Zamioculcas zamiifolia |
Klivie | Clivia miniata |
Coral trees | Solanum pseudocapsicum |
Christmas star | Euphorbia pulcherrima |
Garden plants | |
German name |
Latin name |
Boxwood | Buxus sempervirens |
Honeysuckle, red | Lonicera xylosteum |
Cherry laurel | Prunus laurocerasus |
Tree of life | Thuja occidentalis |
Privet, meaner | Ligustrum vulgare |
mistletoe | Viscum album |
Daffodil, yellow |
Narcissus pseudonarcissus |
Holly | Ilex aquifolium |
tulip | Tulipa gesneriana |
First aid:
- If swallowed, rinse out mouth, then drink water, never induce vomiting.
- In the event of symptoms or any uncertainty, contact the Poison Information Center on +43 (0) 1 406 43 43 to assess the risk
- If symptoms are severe, dial 144.
Note A doctor should always be consulted when taking poisonous plants, especially with small children.
Highly poisonous plants
The ingestion of the following plants or plant components can lead to more severe symptoms, in some cases even life-threatening, in small amounts. Skin contact should also be avoided. These include:
Garden plants | ||
German name |
Latin name |
Additional info |
yew | Taxus baccata | especially needles and seeds are highly toxic |
Monkshood, blue | Aconitum napellus | Warning: most poisonous plant in Europe! If you suspect ingestion, dial the emergency number 144 immediately, there is a risk of death! There is also a risk of skin contact with the flowers. |
Autumn crocus | Colchicum autumnale | Warning: risk of confusion with wild garlic! There is danger to life if ingested! |
lily of the valley | Convallaria majalis | Warning: risk of confusion with wild garlic! There is danger to life if ingested! |
oleander | Nerium oleander | all parts of the plant are highly toxic |
First aid:
- Wash hands thoroughly in case of skin contact.
- Contact the poison information center immediately +43 (0) 1 406 43 43
- If severe symptoms occur, dial 144 immediately !
If you are unconscious, do the following:
- Keep your airway clear. An unconscious person lying on their back is at risk of suffocation. A simple stable side position can prevent this.
- If you have stopped breathing, perform a resuscitation immediately.
- Dial emergency number 144 !
More on the subject: first aid measures
Which food plants can be poisonous?
Some plants that are used as food can also cause symptoms of poisoning - either if too much or the wrong part of the plant is eaten or if the plant is not properly prepared. The table below shows examples:
Food plant | ||
German name |
Latin name |
Additional info |
Apricot, apricot | Prunus armeniaca | Kernels are poisonous - prussic acid is produced during digestion, which, depending on the dose, can be life-threatening, especially in children |
Wild garlic | Allium ursinum | Warning: risk of confusion with lilies of the valley or autumn crocus |
Barberry | Berberis vulgaris | all parts of the plant are poisonous, with the exception of berries |
Bitter almond | Prunus dulcis | Use only for cooking and baking and only in small quantities. The digestion of raw bitter almonds produces hydrogen cyanide, which depending on the dose can be life-threatening, especially in children |
Kidney bean, fisole | Phaseolus vulgaris |
never eat uncooked! Raw beans (seeds and pods) contain toxin (phasin) and are highly toxic. Note: Toxins are destroyed by cooking, but not by drying! |
Beetle bean | Phaseolus coccineus |
never eat uncooked! Raw beans contain toxin (phasin) and are highly toxic. Note: Toxins are destroyed by cooking, but not by drying! |
potato | Solanum tuberosum | never eat uncooked! Green spots and germs contain toxins (solanine) - you must remove these before cooking! |
chick-pea | Cicer arietinum | never eat uncooked! Raw chickpeas contain toxin (phasin) and are highly poisonous. |
Cucurbits | Cucurbitacea | may contain poisonous bitter substances (cucurbitacins). Do not eat pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, melon etc. if they have a bitter taste! |
nutmeg | Myristica fragrans | Use very sparingly, headaches and hallucinations are possible in the event of overdosing. |
peach | Prunus persica | Seeds are poisonous. When the kernel is digested, hydrogen cyanide is produced; depending on the dose, this can be life-threatening, especially in children |
Opium poppy | Papaver somniferum | all parts of the plant are poisonous, with the exception of ripe seeds. |
Black elder | Sambucus nigra | Never eat elderberries raw! All parts of the plant contain toxins (glycosides), which are converted to hydrocyanic acid during digestion. Be careful especially with children! |
tomato | Lycopersicon lycopersicum | green stem contains poison (solanine), remove this before consumption! |
First aid:
- Wash hands thoroughly, rinse mouth, drink water, do not induce vomiting.
- In the event of symptoms or any uncertainty, contact the poison information center immediately on +43 (0) 1 406 43 43 to assess the risk,
- If the symptoms are severe, dial 144 immediately.
- In the case of small children in particular, a doctor should be consulted.
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