BEWARE OF THE MANY POISONOUS PLANTS THAT GROW IN YOUR GARDENS AND IN YOUR HOMES

At present there are more than 700 dangerous plants that grow in this our northern hemisphere. Many are already in our gardens each year. Some of them we grow in our homes as house plants. They are poisonous to our pets, our children and even us, the grownups. Many of them, in diluted forms, have been known and used for centuries as medicines as well.

One of the first that comes to mind is the Poinsettia which is harmful to both children and animals. Also the nightshade family has some poisonous members. One of the most unusual family members here is the “tomato.” Obviously this is not poisonous and is part of the good food plants and “berries” as the fruit is called. Some parts of the Daffodil group that we grow at Christmas and into the spring months, known as Amaryllis, can also be very harmful if eaten by pets and children.
Another common plant that is highly poisonous is the Tobacco plant. Its leaves can poison very easily. The Lilly family is also considered to be very harmful.

So what do we do to guard against some of these seriously harmful plants found in our gardens and homes? Well, there is a wonderful book written by a serious novel writer named Hubert Creekmore, and the name of his volume is “Daffodils Are Dangerous” or The Poisonous Plants in Your Garden. Education about these is the best advice. As a humorous section, Creekmore describes the differences between varieties of the Hemp plant. In one family member the hemp plant is used for making wonderful rope and woven fabrics that hardly ever wear out. This plant has be grown for thousands of years. Of course we know the other kind that can be smoked or eaten in baked goods. We hear it called by the names “weed", “grass" and many other names. But even this banned one can and is used as a medicine to stop some symptoms in serious eye diseases. This is referred to as "medicinal marijauna" but in many states, even the dispensing of this, is unlawful. The medicinal properties of so many “poisonous” plants is obviously beneficial for serious problems like high blood pressure. Let us praise nature in its production of our plant world.