Poisonus plants you may not have known about

Everyone has heard about certain mushrooms being poisonous, only an expert should ever try to pick wild mushrooms. Did you know that many other much more common plants have parts of them that can also be poisonous if ingested? If you are a homeowner or a pet owner, it is important that you know what is poisonous. Here are just a few of them.

Rhubarb

Who doesn’t love that tart flavor that you get from the stem of the rhubarb plant when it is cooked together with strawberries into a pie or a crisp? Be very careful how you dispose of the leaves and blades, however, they are poisonous. While as adults we would know better than to chew on the leaves, your small children or pets might not be quite as aware of the danger.

Potatoes

This delightfully starchy tuber is a staple on tables around the world. There is nothing about the potato itself that is dangerous unless it is green. This can happen if you keep the potatoes too long, don't eat old potatoes or ones with sprouts, toss them away from where family pets might get at them too.

Poinsettia

These flowering plants which are so common during the Christmas season are a color addition to any home. The leaves, however,  are highly poisonous. Place the plants where your pets can't get to them.

Mistletoe

At Christmas time it is a tradition to kiss under the mistletoe. If you plan to use real mistletoe, be sure to remove the berries and throw them away, they are poisonous. If they are on display in your home, the red berries could be a temptation to a toddler or they could just fall off of your kissing ball onto the floor where they would tempt pets and children. Better to remove the possibility by using artificial mistletoe or at the very least, artificial berries.

Daffodils

At Eastertime, we often see daffodils in the store, ready to be brought home to add a little touch of spring after the long winter. The flowers are beautiful and a welcome addition to your home. After the have finished flowering, it is important that you get the bulbs into the ground as quickly as possible. The bulbs of the daffodil are poisonous.

Oak trees

From tiny acorns grow the might oak. Who would have thought that those adorable acorns are poisonous? The leaves of the oak tree are also poisonous. The best thing to do is when the acorns start to fall is to rake or sweep them up immediately and place them into a garbage receptacle. Their shape could be a temptation to any small children playing and from the hands to the mouth is a very short trip.

These are just a few of the poisonous plants and flowers that surround us. You need to be vigilant and you need to be informed.