Indoor plants are a lovely way to add color to your house, particularly during the gloomy winter months. However, if you have kids or have guests that do, there can be a negative aspect to houseplants. It’s critical that you are aware of which plants are harmful to curious, young people. Jessica Damiano, a gardening specialist, recently wrote for The Associated Press on this problem. She said that she frequently alerts friends about houseplants in their houses that should be kept out of reach of young children. “As long as it means preventing harm, I don’t mind dashing friends’ hopes of an Instagram-worthy indoor jungle,” Damiano wrote.
Kaitlyn Brown works at America’s Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia. “We get about 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths,” she told the AP. Notably, she said, the cases typically involve younger children, “because they explore their environment and they put everything in their mouths.” According to Brown, most inadvertent exposures are not harmful. But occasionally, a youngster may suffer serious damage to their eyes, skin, or breathing.
Damiano stated that she just visited her cousin’s home and observed a Dieffenbachia plant in the kitchen. Her cousin informed her that her baby boy, who was only starting to crawl, had expressed curiosity about the leaves. Damiano had to tell her relative that consuming even a tiny bit of the plant’s stem can result in excruciating, short-lived discomfort. The plant components may induce swelling in the mouth and throat. The sap of the plant can irritate the eyes, nose, and skin. Caladium, flamingo flower, Swiss cheese plant, peace lily, ZZ plant, philodendron, and pothos are some other plants that can have an analogous effect.
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