- Our vegetable gardens provide us with a wonderful array of
vegetables to feed our families. Although the dangers most of us
think of in the vegetable garden are around the products we use to
prevent disease or to get rid of pest, there are some vegetable
where care should be taken to prevent poisoning.
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- Part one of our eight part series looks at poisonous plants in
your vegetable garden. The following lists contain only those plants
which children may be tempted to eat and touch and which are
commonly found in and around gardens, parks, and other recreation
areas.
As a general rule, children should be discouraged from eating any new
plants material unless guided by an adult. Do not panic if young
children play near such plants. Plants need not be destroyed just
because they have poisonous properties. Most of these plants are not
tempting for children to eat, at least in potentially harmful amounts;
or would pass through the digestive system without causing problems.
In New Zealand it is inevitable that as children grow up they will be
exposed to plants with poisonous properties. To keep things in perspective remember that fatalities are extremely rare and usually a
child does not eat enough of a poisonous plat to cause serious illness.
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Warning: If you suspect a child
may have been poisoned, immediately contact your doctor or the
National Poisons Information Centre Urgent Phoneline on 03 474 7000.
For non-urgent information, Phone 03 479 1200.
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- 1. INTERNAL POISONS - (Harmful if swallowed)
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- Asparagus
(Asparagus
officinalis). The small bright red berries produced by
mature female plants in summer are mildly poisonous.
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- Castor oil
(Ricinus communis).
The attractively mottled seeds are the usual parts eaten, sometimes
with serious effects. The New Zealand plants usually have purple
leaves.
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- Comfrey (Symplytum officinale and its
hybrid S. xuplandicum). Although the leaves are
used as a general tonic, if used in quantity they can be harmful
over a prolonged period.
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- Elderberry or elder
(Sambuscus nigra).
The large clusters of little black juicy berries can be made into
jam or wine, but they can cause stomach upsets if too many are eaten
raw. It mainly grows in southern and central districts.
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- Potato
(Solanum tuberosum) -
all green parts. The parts mostly likely to poison children are the
green or whitish berries produced on some varieties. Potato tubers
which are green from light exposure are also poisonous.
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- Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum).
The leaf blades are poisonous on this common vegetable plant.
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- Taro (Colocasia esculenta).
All parts of this popular polynesian food crop are poisonous, so the
root and leaves must be cooked properly before being eaten. Even if
eaten when only partly cooked, it will burn the throat. it is a
member of the poisonous arum lilly family.
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- 2. EXTERNAL POISONS - skin irritants
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- Parsnip
(Pastinaca sativa).
May cause rashes in susceptible people when leaves are rubbed
against the skin.
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- 3. COMMON NON-POISONOUS BERRIED PLANTS (some are
edible)
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- Barberries
(Berberis species).
These have variously coloured berries according to the species. All
barberries are thorny and the spines can penetrate the skin, snap
off and lead to infection.
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- Acknowledgement
- Kids Friendly New Zealand would like to acknowledge
that this information is part of Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd
1999 report on Poisonous Plants and was written by W.R. Sykes, June
1991, Revised April 1999.
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- Disclaimer of Liability for Health-Related
Advice
- This information is not intended to be
comprehensive or to provide medical advice to you. While all care
has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, no
responsibility, what so ever, is accepted for any actions taken in
reliance on it. Specific advice on medical issues should be sought
from a health professional.
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