Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: I need information on some plants...
QUESTION:
I work at a child development center and need up-dated information regarding
poisonous plants. The plants that I specifically need information on
are listed
below.
grapefruit tree, mandarin orange
watermelon plant, ornamental gord plants, pumpkin plant
apricot tree
rosemary bush
pistachio tree
anise plant
ficus tree
ANSWER:
grapefruit tree, mandarin orange- citrus trees are pretty innocuous, I think
some varieties or
rootstocks may have thorns
watermelon plant, ornamental gord plants, pumpkin plant - Some peple find cotact
with the leaves
and stems of cucumber family members a little irritating, but not usually a big
problem. Some of
the ornamental gourds themselves are toxic, though.
apricot tree - the pits and leaves contain amygdalin (prunisin) which can release
cyanide under
some circumstances, so we don't eat those. I don't think having a tree or eating
the fruit will
harm little kids, unless it is so big they climb up and fall out of it!
rosemary bush- not sure
pistachio tree - Probably not too different from a walnut tree,, but if I run
across anything,
I'll let you know. Ungraded, unsorted pistachio nuts may include some moldy ones
which can be
toxic (aflatoxin), so just eat the clean green nut meats!
anise plant - not sure, will check, but I do know kids can confuse it with poison
hemlock
(doesn't seem likely, but you never know) which may be a problem when they go
some place else
ficus tree - many members of this genus, including the edible fig tree have an
irritating white
latex or sap that can cause skin problems if broken stems or leaves touch tender
skin (or mouth).