A checklist of potentially harmful plants

Learning objectives:

Plant | Harmful | Poisonous | Touch | Safety | Warning | Flower | Leaves

Dos

• Teach children not to play with or eat plants
• Use gloves when pruning or weeding and keep skin covered
• Teach children that if it is not a food plant or crop, do not eat it
• Teach children what parts of an edible crop they can eat e.g. you can't eat tomato or potato leaves or flowers
• Check plant labels for toxicity warnings, or research them before you buy or use it in your garden
• Always wash hands after being out in the garden and ensure hands are washed before eating

Don’ts

• Don't eat ornamental plants. They are very beautiful - but not meant to be eaten!
• Do not leave prunings or dug up plants in reach of children, pets or wildlife
• Don't touch a plant unless you know what it is
• Don’t plant edible and ornamental plants together in the same bed, border, container or pot

Common hazards associated with plants can be caused by either ingestion or contact.

Ingestion hazard

• Children are mostly at risk
• Some plants may cause digestive upset or discomfort if eaten
• A small number of common plants are more toxic and could cause severe poisoning (see link below for more information)

Contact hazard

• Irritant sap
  

  Sap is a fluid that circulates through a plant's vascular system, in a similar way to blood moving through our veins. Phloem sap carries the sugars produced in the leaves by photosynthesis down to roots and other storage organs, as well as carrying minerals and hormones. Xylem sap is watery and transports nutrients absorbed by the roots upwards to the rest of the plant. Some plants leak sap from wounds or pruning cuts, and this is known as bleeding.

  may cause a burning sensation and sometimes blistering of skin. Anyone can be affected if the exposure is sufficient
• Some plants contain chemicals called allergens. These do not affect everyone, but some individuals may aquire sensitivity to them resulting in an allergic reaction
• A very small number of plants have sap which renders the skin excessively sensitive to strong sunlight. This can result in severe localised sunburn with blistering and long-lasting skin discolouration

Explore our full list of potentially harmful plants .

• If you think a person has eaten part of a doubtful plant, seek medical advice immediately from a hospital accident & emergency department
• Take a sample of the plant with you
• Do not panic and do not try to make the person sick