Plants are extremely diverse organisms. And we should respect
them for their ability to
poison as well as feed us.

There is no set manner by which plants poison. Most must be
eaten to become toxic,
while others can be touched (in the case of skin reactions).

The toxicity depends on the amount of plant material
ingested. For example, all parts
of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus) fall on the “slightly
toxic” plant list.

Since sunflowers are a large part of our snack food diet,
this comes as a surprise. But
it’s a perfect example of toxicity as a function of ingested
amount. Doesn’t ice cream
make us sick if we eat too much of it?

So, should we fear all plants in the landscape? Should we
keep our children locked in
boxes so they don’t risk their lives around plants? Certainly
not!

Just because a plant produces poisonous berries or leaves
doesn’t automatically exclude
it from use in a home landscape.

In his book, Plants for Play, Robin C. Moore says the great
majority of our landscape
plants are “highly beneficial and perfectly safe” for children.
But many plants
contain poisonous substances and warrant precaution.

Adults should learn about their landscapes and be able to
distinguish those plants that
may be hazardous. In turn, they should caution their children
about those plants and plant
parts that carry toxins.

There is no need to make children afraid of plants. But there
is a great need to change
the child’s perspective to that of respect for all plant life,
so the child has less risk
of exposure to dangers. The education process provides a great
opportunity for parent and
child to share and grow in enjoying the environment.

The age of the children playing in the yard is a major
consideration when planning your
landscape. Plants with berries at perfect heights for small
children, such as the
poisonous fall berries of Convallaria majalis (lily of the
valley), are much more of
concern for toddlers or small children than 10-year-olds.

Recent trends in home landscaping involve a strong wildlife
interest as a major factor
in plant selection. Homeowners are asking for plants that
produce berries to feed birds,
squirrels, chipmunks and other creatures.

These berries appeal not only to wildlife, but to small
children as well. Patterning
after parents picking blackberries, strawberries and other
edible fruits may encourage a
child to pick and eat other tempting, but poisonous, berries.

The best way to protect small children from plant poisoning
is to teach them to not eat
any plant parts without adult supervision until they are old
enough to be positive that
the plant is safe to eat.

We can’t ignore plants — the hand that feeds us, so to
speak. Human and animal life
can’t exist apart from green flora. So we must learn how to live
with it. This means plant
education for all people, big and small.

Here are some common landscape plants and their toxic parts
(from the book, Learning
from Poisonous Plants).