Poisonous Plants of Paradise

[missydog1]

ow, that's too bad. I know I've never seen a warning on it. I only learned about its toxicity through reading this book, but Sunset Western Garden has a poison warning on it as well.

Sunset is excellent for specifying if plants have any parts that are toxic.

[ArtM]

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not toxic to humans or pets. This is a very, very hardy, longstanding, and oft-repeated myth that is just not true.

On the flip side, something real to watch for is plumeria (Plumeria rubra) sap, a latex, which can create a rash (dermatits) similar to poison oak. If you're pruning plumeria and looking up, sap could drip into your eyes, which would not be fun at all!

ArtM

[gtill]

How about Castor bean, thick on some roadsides. It is used for "Ricin" , a deadly poson.

[Les C]

I've heard mention that the "trumpet flower" plants (don't know the real name) are poisonous, or toxic. They are abundant as a decorative shrub/bush/small tree. Some sources that I have read say that parts of the plant (the flower?) have hallucinogenic or narcotic effects when ingested. Of course, that could be followed by sickness or death.

[leilaniguy]

Angels Trumpet is the plant on the cover of the book. It's Brugmansia, a nightshade related to tomatoes, potatoes, petunias and locoweed. They are common all through my neighborhood, never caused a problem, just use care when pruning, don't touch your eyes or mouth after handling the plant.

[oink]

Don't plant Angel's Trumpet.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/articl...ln02a.html

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[Mitzi M]

Here's an extremely poisonous introduced plant that grows wild in parts of Puna. Some even say it's the most dangerous plant in Hawai'i. It's called Rosary Vine or Jequrity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jequirity

If you have kids, please teach them not to mess with it. It's a lacy, rambling vine-like thing with very pretty shiny black and red seeds that people use to make jewelry. I just learned about how poisonous it is and remembered (with a shiver) how one day I found it growing in a field and filled up my pocket with its pretty seeds.

Mitzi

Uluhe Design
Native Landscape Design
uluhedesign@yahoo.com

[missydog1]

hi again, I hadn't seen this topic bumped ...

gtill, yeah, I put castor bean in the top post. Very common here!

StillHope - yes, the book has a color picture for each plant it discusses.

Mitzi - that lethal rosary bead plant is in the book.

ArtM - the book discusses how poinsettia gets a bad rap that is undeserved.
Yep, plumeria is a good one because it's so easy to release the sap.

lol, I sound like I'm pushing the book, but really I'm just checking it to see how good a resource it is. So far, it holds up very well!

oink -- thanks for that article. I see that one author of the book is an ER doc here and was quoted. Have to say I'm annoyed by the dad's response. Your teenage kid does something lolo and you want to outlaw a beautiful plant. I have three angel trumpet's and I find the scent mesmerizing.

Angel's trumpet is related to datura, which grows roadside in Texas, Mexico, etc.. I remember in the 60's when everyone wanted to find something new to get high on (I was a teen in the late 60's), and jimson weed or datura was discussed a lot. The conventional wisdom was that the plant was way too bad news to mess around with for a high.

Educate the kids on poisonous plants so they won't experiment to get high.
As for little kids, there is no way to make Hawai'i safe because half the plants can hurt you. You just have to teach your kids not to pick things and eat them.

[EightFingers]

I was wondering about this very topic earlier today - nice to have a guide to the plant life.

[missydog1]

I really see no reason not to plant Angel's trumpet here. I have propagated mine each time I moved. They aren't quite as happy at sea level than when they have some elevation. Angel's trumpet doesn't spread by seed; it's a specimen plant, so if you have a garden that's not full of roaming teenagers (unlikely) -- I would have one. I actually have the yellow, pink, and the white in this garden. They do wilt if the rains slack off. They like lots of water.