Poison Information Network

 

PLANT GUIDE

 

PLANT GUIDE

Plants are popular for home decorating today. They can provide much beauty and color.... but some plants also provide a hazard and you should display them only with care.

 

Plant ingestions are a common cause of potential poisoning exposures in children under five years of age. The plants listed below are to guide you in the choosing of plants for your home and garden. This is not a complete list but does include many commonly asked questions about plants.

 

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT PLANT POISONING EXPOSURES?

 

* Teach children never to put twigs, leaves or flowers in their mouth.

 

* Know the names of all the plants in your home and yard. (Check a good plant reference book or ask a florist) The Poison Center cannot positively identify plants over the telephone.

 

* Put poisonous plants up high and out of the reach of children and pets.

 

* Never eat a wild plant or mushroom unless you are positive of its identity.

 

* Store bulbs and seeds out of children's reach.

 

* Do not rely on cooking to destroy toxic substances contained in plants.

 

SAFE PLANTS

 

African Violet Aluminum Plant Aralia Aster Baby Tears Bachelor buttons Begonia Boston Fern Burro's Tail Cactus
(certain varieties) Christmas Cactus Coleus Corn Plant Contoneaster Dandelion

Dracaena Easter Lily Fiddle Leaf Fife Gardenia Geranium Hibiscus Honeysuckle

  

Pepperomia Petunia Prayer Plant Purple Passion Rubber Tree Schefflera Snake Plant Spider Plant Swedish Ivy Velvet Plant Violet Wandering Jew Weeping Willow Yucca Zebra Plant Zinnia

Hoya Jade Plant Lilac Lipstick Plant Marigold Monther-inLaw's Tounge

 

 

NOT-SO-SAFE PLANTS

 

Acorn Arrowhead Bittersweet Buckeye Buttercups Caladium Castor Bean Daffodil Devel's Ivy Dieffenbachia (Dumbcane) Elephant Ears Foxglove Holly Hyacinth Hydrangea Iris Jackin the Pulpit Jananese Lantern Jequirity Bean Jerusalem Cherry Jimson Weed   Jonquil Lantana Lily of the Valley Marijuana Miltetoe Morning Glory Mushrooms (certain species) Narcissus Nightshade Oak Oleander Poison Ivy & Sumac Pokeweed Rhododendron Rhubarb Star of Bethlehem Tobacco Tulip Wisteria Yew

 

MUSHROOM TIPS        
MUSHROOM TIPS

 

Mushroom collecting does not have to be a dangerous outdoor sport if we play by the rules. The following are some basic tips to follow the next time you go into the woods:

 

Know precisely and positively what you are after.

When gathering mushrooms, collect only one species at a time.

In case you do collect more than one kind, separate each species in different containers. Do not mix poisonous mushrooms with edible ones.

Only young fresh specimens are suitable for food. After a mushroom matures and begins to deteriorate, its edible qualities also deteriorate.

When picking, place mushrooms in a shallow, flat box or basket. NEVER use plastic bags, they cause the mushroom to sweat and disintegrate rapidly.

Keep mushrooms in the shade and as cool and well aired as possible until you get home. Bacteria and yeast can cause great damage in a few hours on a hot day.

Eat only those mushrooms in prime condition.

Never eat wild mushrooms raw.

Clean, process or cook your mushrooms as soon as possible. Most deteriorate very rapidly after being picked. To clean, split cap lengthwise to check for spoilage or insect infestation.

Set aside some uncooked specimens of whatever is eaten and keep refrigerated. If a poisoning does occur, the mushroom can be quickly identified.

Should you make a mistake and eat a poisonous mushroom, call the POISON CONTROL CENTER IMMEDIATELY. You may have symptoms such as loss of muscular control, hallucinations, diarrhea or coma. Some mushrooms are absolutely deadly.

 

 

IF YOU NEED TO CALL THE POISON CENTER, have the following information ready:

 

  • Age and weight of the poisoned victim
  • Name of the poison product and the quantity the victim has eaten or been exposed to
  • Time the poisoning occurred
  • Any symptoms occurring
  • Any first aid measures you may have already performed
  • Your name and telephone number

 

 

 

REMEMBER: It is absolutely essential before you collect mushrooms that you be positively certain of the kind you are after. Mushrooms are plentiful in Michigan and when safety is practiced, mushroom collecting can be a fun and rewarding hobby.

 

Poison Crisis Line - 1-800-222-1222