Poisonous Shrubbery

[SolReaver]

Hey guys, just a little tidbit to share...

I was doing some clearing of brush that is growing against the house a few days ago and thought nothing of it, until later on that night when I woke up with a weird stinging sensation on my skin and a decidedly unhappy queasy feeling. OK, after a bad night I went on with my business and never guessed at the cause. I wanted to see what kind of bushes I was going to move, or just rip out and so I researched what plants they were.

Oleander. Yep. It turns out that this decorative shrub is POISONOUS. WTF?? According to Wikipedia, the stuff is downright scary and kills in small quantities. Now I am not the brightest bulb on the tree folks, but even at my worst moments I would not consider buying and planting something that is potentially lethal to dogs, cats, horses, deer, well....just about everything but some kinds of caterpillars (or so I hear) and if THAT isn't disturbing enough, this one has somehow spread toxic sap all around. WHY on EARTH would anybody want one of these things? WHAT part of "poisonous invasive species" is unclear?

SO, in defense of my toxic plant, I will have to say that it is a healthy, green, and rather large shrubbery with pretty flowers...yea. It pruned down nicely (little did I know when pruning it was trying to kill me) and it makes a nice topiary shape. BUT it is POISONOUS! you can kill little birdies in the trees or anything else that breathes by burning its dried leaves. Truly sorry here, but it is NOT that pretty and the PO planted it 6 inches from the house!

WHY do people plant these things? WHY? WHY? WHY? How about I just propagate some poison sumac or grow poison Ivy up a trellis?

The only good part of the story is that I no longer have to wonder about which plant to get rid of first and whether I am going to try and save it. It seems that the Craigslist in my area has several free to a good home Oleanders..Yea...I will be jumping right on THAT bandwagon and joining the Oleander gardening group REAL soon....NOT. I will be dressing up in a moon suit with gloves and yanking that killer bush right out. Only problem is...How do I dispose of it? I guess cutting it up and putting it in bags or something like toxic waste. Not gonna burn it. I like the birds and I gotta breathe too.

[masraum]

Oleanders are great, and are all over the South from FL to AZ and I suspect all up through CA. Oleanders aren't that bad. What'd you do, milk the trimmings and roll around naked in the juice? They aren't that dangerous. I wouldn't eat them, but other than that I'm not worried about them. Lots of regular house/yard plants are poisonous. You'd be surprised.

[BeyGon]

Like most poisonous plants they taste so bad even a kid won't eat them. I have heard burning them in your fireplace isn't good for you. Elephant ears, very common around the house is another one. They just taste bad, nobody will eat them and die.

[legion]

Originally Posted by SolReaver

WHY do people plant these things? WHY? WHY? WHY? How about I just propagate some poison sumac or grow poison Ivy up a trellis?

Roger would know.

[BeyGon]

Nobody plants Poison Oak or Ivy, lots of people plant Oleander as a fence/wall shrub, it is easy, grows fast, drought resistant, and green all year. The state plants it along the freeways. NOBODY dies from it, you have to eat it and that won't happen. I don't think even one leaf, you have to eat some. I wouldn't eat one leaf to try it though.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

Nobody plants Poison Oak or Ivy, lots of people plant Oleander as a fence/wall shrub, it is easy, grows fast, drought resistant, and green all year. The state plants it along the freeways. NOBODY dies from it, you have to eat it and that won't happen. I don't think even one leaf, you have to eat some. I wouldn't eat one leaf to try it though.

Right, I've done some reading, my understanding is that kids and old sick folks could die, but they'd have to eat a bunch. Our buddy must just have sensitive skin. Too much Oil of Olay, I think.

[masraum]

Azaleas, Castor Bean, Daffodils, Day Lilies, Easter Lilies, Irises, lantana, poinsettias, laurels, sago palm, wisteria, these are all poisonous to animals.

As for people...

Hyacinth, Narcissus, Daffodil Bulbs Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. May be fatal.

Oleander Leaves, branches Extremely poisonous. Affects the heart, produces severe digestive upset and has caused death.

Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane), Elephant Ear All parts Intense burning and irritation of the mouth and tongue. Death can occur if base of the tongue swells enough to block the air passage of the throat.

Rosary Pea, Castor Bean Seeds Fatal. A single Rosary Pea seed has caused death. One or two Castor Bean seeds are near the lethal dose for adults.

Laurels, Rhododendrons, Azaleas All parts Fatal. Produces nausea and vomiting, depression, difficult breathing, prostration and coma.

Jasmine Berries Fatal. Digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.

Lantana Camara (Red Sage) Green berries Fatal. Affects lungs, kidneys, heart and nervous system. Grows in the southern U.S. And in moderate climates.

Yew Berries, foliage Fatal. Foliage more toxic than berries. Death is usually sudden without warning symptoms.

Wild and cultivated cherries Twigs, foliage Fatal. Contains a compound that releases cyanide when eaten. Gasping, excitement and prostration are common symptoms.

Oaks Foliage, acorns Affects kidneys gradually. Symptoms appear only after several days or weeks. Takes a large amount for poisoning.

Elderberry All parts, especially roots Children have been poisoned by using pieces of the pithy stems for blowguns. Nausea and digestive upset.

Mistletoe Berries Fatal. Both children and adults have died from eating the berries.

Water Hemlock All parts Fatal. Violent and painful convulsions. A number of people have died from hemlock.

Buttercups All parts Irritant juices may severely injure the digestive system.

Nightshade All parts, especially the unripened berry Fatal. Intense digestive disturbance and nervous symptoms.

Poison Hemlock All parts Fatal. Resembles a large wild carrot.

Jimson Weed (Thorn Apple) All parts Abnormal thirst, distorted sight, delirium, incoherence and coma. Common cause of poisoning. Has proved fatal.

These were just a few from a list of common Texas plants.

You can also die from drinking too much water.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by legion

Roger would know.

[Tobra]

In middle school, a girl who lived up the street from my parents had a horse die from eating oleander.

Depending on the type of reaction you had, it could be MUCH worse on subsequent exposures

[SolReaver]

After all...he is a shrubbist, I am not

I do know about the velocity of laden swallows vs. unladen swallows in both the African and European species...However, I had never SEEN one of these things up close and this one never flowered, so I didn't know it was Oleander until AFTER the fact.. . I am not likely to make THAT mistake again. I did talk to an old friend of mine (yes, I have friends) on the subject and she said that they are GREAT plants for privacy hedges. And as highway dividers, erosion control, and the like...fine with me. But...In the front yard of a residential neighborhood planted next to the house? It probably looked fine at three feet tall, but that was a while ago.

I Don't know why my reaction was so pronounced. Protective clothing and regular precautions would probably do it for most people doing the work. I just rolled along and treated it like any other shrub. The phrase "ignorance is bliss" as well as "what you don't know won't hurt you" do not apply. I am fine now thanks, chalk it up to experience and move on.

It is a 14 footer growing half a foot from the house . It and several boxwood hedges have to go to do some grading and drainage work. I will try to save the plants I can and relocate them or give them away. But the Oleander....Nobody wants it and I can't keep it. Anybody wants it...PM me. Dig it out and it is yours. i will even throw in a 6 pack for not having to deal with it.

I will try and familiarize myself with the other dangerous flora and fauna around here. In the meantime I will still avoid the Tarantula that hangs around out back. Yea, probably not poisonous, but any spider that big that moves that fast...I am avoiding.

[Tobra]

Pretty nasty damn snakes in the Bayou City, I would worry about them more than oleander.

[Bill Douglas]

Do you know if it produces flowers? I may send a nice bunch to the dyke next door.

[YTNUKLR]

We had them all around my house when I was growing up.

Never caused us any problems at all. I would take a chill pill.

[targa911S]

DO NOT burn them and stand around the fire.

[Tobra]

White or pink flowers. My parents have had oleander in their back yard for almost 50 years, no casualties

[cstreit]

There's a Monty Python joke in here somewhere.

[vash]

SOL, maybe you are extra sensitive, or allergic to the stuff.

i have trimmed that stuff all my life, and i keep beating back my neighbors plants. i have no issues.

buy a TYVEK suit next time. could save your butt.

i think oleander was the original rat poison?

[DARISC]

snopes.com: Oleander Poisoning

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tobra

White or pink flowers. My parents have had oleander in their back yard for almost 50 years, no casualties

Red, white, pink, and even lavender (though I've never seen one).

[vash]

just so you know. you can prune an oleander down to nothing..and it will come back.

you have to get the root ball. they get crazy underground.