When we think of poison plants in the landscape, poison ivy and
poison oak are first on
the list. But it’s a long list that includes favorite flowers
and even tomato vines.

“Tomato leaves and stems may cause upset stomach,” said Wayne
McLaurin, a
horticulturist with the University of Georgia Extension
Service.

So can other vegetable plant parts, such as pepper stems and the
potato seed pods that
form on the top of the potato plant after blooming.

“You see very few potato seed pods in Georgia,” McLaurin
said. “They look like small
tomatoes, but they’re not for eating.” The pods contain
alkaloids that can make you sick.

According to the Georgia Poison Center, indoor and outdoor
plants are among the most
common causes of poisonings in children. Plants can cause severe
injury and even death if
swallowed by humans or animals.

Common landscape plants that can harm children and pets include
azaleas, boxwoods,
English ivy, foxglove, hyacinths and wisteria.

“Most poisoning from plants comes from rubbing up against the
plant, not from actually
eating it,” McLaurin said.

It’s fun to include children in gardening, so don’t let the risk
persuade you to keep them
out. Just take precautions.

“Kids will trample plants, pick unripe fruit and become a
problem in general unless you
teach them the proper way to conduct themselves in the garden,”
McLaurin said. “Teach
them the right way first. And try to make gardening a pleasant
experience, as well as a
learning experience.”

McLaurin feels a home garden is the perfect place to teach
children where their food really
comes from.

Pets, on the other hand, have no place in the garden.

“Pets should be kept out of the garden for obvious reasons,”
McLaurin said. “They dig
and make nuisances of themselves.”

An even greater danger is what they can leave behind.

“Their fecal matter may contain organisms, such as roundworms,
that might infect
humans,” he said. “These organisms can get on the leaves or
fruit of plants. And if the
fruits aren’t washed thoroughly, the organisms may be eaten and
cause health problems.”

For the same reason, never use dog or cat fecal matter in a
compost pile.

Remember, too, to keep chemicals away from children in the
garden. And keep children
and pets out of the garden if you recently sprayed fertilizer,
herbicides or pesticides.

Symptoms of plant poisoning in children may include skin
irritation, vomiting, diarrhea
and, in severe cases, delirium and death.

The Georgia Poison Center recommends you:

* Know the names of all plants in and around your home. Learn to
recognize them by
sight and name.

* Label each plant and keep a list of your plants on hand so
babysitters can have access to
the list in an emergency.

* Don’t eat wild plants or mushrooms. Teach your children never
to put leaves, stems,
flowers, nuts, berries or seeds from any plant into their
mouths.

* Remove mushrooms from your yard and securely dispose of
them.

* Become familiar with first aid for plant poisoning. Remove any
part of the plant that
hasn’t been swallowed, and call the Poison Center immediately.

* Keep a bottle of syrup of ipecac on hand to induce vomiting if
necessary. Use syrup of
ipecac only on the advice of the Poison Center or your doctor.

To learn more about backyard garden safety, contact your county office
of the UGA
Extension Service. Or call the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-
282-5846 and request “The
Safe and Sorry of Common Plants.”