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House Plant Danger - What to Avoid With Pets and Small Children |
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Written by Joey Pebble
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House plants can add beauty, life and vigor to a homes environment. However plants are wild, and natural; and being alive they sometimes have properties that you might not expect. In general an adult human knows enough to avoid doing anything that can get them into trouble with the average houseplant, but unfortunately, pets, and even very young children, don't always have that kind of common sense. In the act of exploring the world around them with blind innocence, they can sometimes get into trouble. That is why you have to understand fully the properties of any object you bring into your home, especially living organisms such as plants.
One example of a common household plant with some nasty side effects is the Dieffenbachia. Sometimes referred to as the angel wings, heart of Jesus, or mother-in-law plant, it has an extremely irritating effect if ingested. While generally not fatal in small amounts, this plant can be very painful, and can cause a child's vocal chords to swell up to where they lose their voice. While initial irritation in the mouth generally prevents this, if somehow they are able to ignore the pain and a large amount is ingested, this plant can be very dangerous, and possibly even fatal.
Calla lilies, a popular spring time plant, can be even worse. While the flowers are safe, just touching the leaves of this plant can cause a mild skin irritation. However, if a curious puppy dog or even a teething child puts one of the leaves in their mouth it can cause intense pain as well as some serious medical side effects. If this ever happens you should call a poison control center immediately.
The poinsettia is another common plant with a nasty side effect when ingested. While it is not necessarily fatal to eat part of this plant, it can be very painful. This plant is also dangerous to people who are allergic to latex gloves, and it can cause their hands or their face to break out in a rash just by touching its leaves.
One of the most dangerous plants that you can have in or around your home is the oleander shrub. Every part of this plant is extremely poisonous, and even a tiny leaf can be fatal. What is worse, the bright vivid colors of this plant make it look particularly inviting to taste. The oleander is something you should pretty much completely avoid owning if you have a home with children or pets.
While certain steps can be taken to try and keep pets and small children away from these toxic plants, the problem is that you can never be in one hundred percent control of the situation. There are always going to be variables that you can't account for. Maybe those calla lilies are set way up on the shelf, where the dog could never reach them. But could that vase fall while you are away, and leave the dangerous flowers on the floor ready to be chewed? Safety is a balance between paranoia and precaution, but when it comes to toxic plants affecting the life of those you love, in general it is better to err on the side of caution.
This article is provided courtesy of PebbleZ's line of unique stone home décor products, and was written by artist and designer Joey Pebble.
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