BEWARE THE BLEEDING HEART – AND THAT’S JUST ONE

by Hugh Evans on in Gardening Tips 26
BEWARE THE BLEEDING HEART – AND THAT’S JUST ONE

This is a gentle reminder that some of our most attractive plants have a darker side in that they are poisonous. Admittedly adults are unlikely to eat their plants, but young children and particularly pets can do so with unfortunate consequences. Just the sap from certain plants can cause a skin rash. There are eight houseplants and twenty-one flowers and shrubs listed in the article by Patty McDermitt which comes from The Master Gardeners website.

What I mean when I say, “Some Plants are Evil” is that not all plants have what I would call a good purpose. Some plants kill, poison, invade, intoxicate, create pain, are dangerous to human or pets, or are offensive in some way. Wicked plants are everywhere in the world and some are well known and others are well-hidden secrets. I hope to address some of these plants to help us better understand the uses of these plants for good or bad and to help you protect your children, your pets, and yourself.
All through history plants have been used as murder weapons, some plants have started wars, inflicted pain, they can explode, they can smell badly, or destroy. There are thousands of plants that are poisonous, painful, invasive, or intoxicating. My purpose with this article is to help the home gardener and their families stay safe as they garden and play in the indoors and outdoors. Plants poison over 68,000 people yearly, so we do need to be cautious and teach our children not eat any plant material. There is no way I can include all plants that cause problems, but I will attempt to list the most problematic.
We’ll first look at plants that are the most popular and are typically grown indoors. These plants should be kept away from children and pets. This small list contains the name of the plant and what part is dangerous.

See more at The Master Gardeners

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I am a keen gardener and so created Garden Pics and Tips for people who love gardens and enjoy great pictures of plants and gardens. Also covered are practical tips on all aspects of gardening.

26 thoughts on “BEWARE THE BLEEDING HEART – AND THAT’S JUST ONE”

    1. Tracy

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      I agree, I couldn’t find the article and was interested since I have had a bleeding heart for YEARS and love them. Was hoping to get info.

  23. Linda Bunk

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    Gently pull the flower apart and it looks like a lady wearing a shower cap in the tub. Guess that”s why the white ones were called lady in the bath tub plant.

  24. Catherine Williams

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    Oh good grief ! How did the human race ever survive without the health and safety brigade?Here in the Uk we are often told that we shouldn’t grow this or that because it has berries or thorns and could harm a child and you shouldn’t have a pond in case they drown,and you are responsible for other peoples children on your property.I was taught from a very young age not to put anything in my mouth and not to touch anything that didn’t belong to me unless given permission to do so. My wonderful mother loved gardening, i learned from her what was safe or not safe to eat. Parents should teach their children to keep them safe,i don’t see why i should plant my garden to suit others . When family visit with children i keep an eye on them but don’t realy need to because they have been taught the way i was. Idon’t see why i should be responsible for anyone coming into my garden uninvited.

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