So yesterday we started a post on toxic herbs and plants that we use and surround ourselves with everyday without realizing it. I myself am a great fan of the natural and anything that is plants, herbs and flowers – then I’m all for it. Here today I’m going to continue to post some more common plants and herbs we have around that despite carrying potent toxicity are also everyday cures.
Flowers
Daffodil.
The lovely yellow gold flowers of William Wordsworth’s touching poem are as beautiful as they are lethal but mainly only in the bulbs. You see the bulbs of a daffodil can be deadly is ingested because they contain a crystallized toxin that induces vomiting, diarrhea and potentially death. Bear in mind that the narcissus and daffodil are essentially the same species of plant and thus carries the same threat of poisoning.
Hyacinth
If you ever watched that old series Keeping up Appearances then you’d be familiar with the name Hyacinth Bucket who was no doubt likely names after the beautiful purple flower. And like the daffodil,, the bulbs of a Hyacinth can also cause death. So if you have them in your garden, be sure to keep your pets away from them.
Fruits
Apples
Even if you don’t tend to gardens, surely you’ve got this one in your kitchen. Apples come from the same plant family as roses, almonds, cherries and peaches. Thus in fact all the seeds of all of these plants are poisonous and should be avoided because they contain a glycoside called amygdalin that can cause cyanide poisoning. If you have dogs at home then you’d have been warned not to give them any apple seeds/pips, but the same really applies to humans. If you swallowed a pip or two whilst having the fruit, I trust it would be fine as the body can expel/detoxify a small dose of cyanide compound. In fact if you didn’t break the seed/pip when ingesting you would only absorb a minimal amount of the toxic compounds. It is when you chew the seeds that bring on the real poisoning. So watch these fruits and best remove the seeds before giving them to your children.
Berries
Elderberries
If you’ve seen this plant you’ll be inclined to admit how striking it looks. The berries make wonderful jams; the flower petals make lovely tea and together amazing wine but don’t go anywhere near the roots because those are just poison.
