Our homes are more comfortable and healthier when houseplants are present. Their visual interest, air purification, and potential for use as foods and medicines make them a valuable addition to any home. The aloe vera plant is praised for its easy care, beautiful shape, and soothing gel, making it a common kitchen staple. Although such common plants are useful, they can also be toxic. Here are several poisonous houseplants that are dangerous for pets and your children.
1. Snake Plant
This plant is the first on the list of poisonous houseplants. Snake plants are popular indoor plants due to their tallness, ability to survive in a wide range of conditions, ease of maintenance, and air purification properties. It is especially effective in reducing formaldehyde (produced by particleboard and plastics). The plants absorb air pollution during the night and release it during the day, which makes them excellent bedside plants. The snake plant is considered good luck by many cultures. It can, however, result in excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain in dogs, cats, and rabbits.
2. Philodendron
The philodendron is a great plant for removing formaldehyde from the air. It is a hearty plant that is easy to maintain. Unfortunately, they are poisonous as well. Calcium oxalate crystals in these plants can be toxic to humans. In most cases, philodendrons are not dangerous to humans but extremely dangerous to pets, especially cats (cats are more at risk than dogs) with ingestion causing spasms, seizures, pain, and swelling.
3. Dieffenbachia
In addition to containing calcium oxalate crystals, dieffenbachia is closely related to the philodendron and called dumb cane, because it is most closely related to it. Large plants have a tendency to be more floor-bound, making them more accessible to kids and pets. The ingestibility of this plant can cause pain, excessive salivation, and swelling and numbness in the throat, although it has been deemed only mildly toxic to humans and animals.
4. Pothos
The pothos plant is a popular indoor plant that absorbs formaldehyde. However, pothos is also known as the devil’s ivy. Ingestion of pothos can cause mild swelling, skin burns, vomiting, diarrhea, and mouth burn in humans. There are even worse side effects for pets, since it can cause kidney failure and possibly death.
5. Oleander
You might reconsider keeping an oleander plant around because it is lovely and delicate. One leaf or a flower nectar may be enough to cause dizziness, irregular heartbeats, and tremors in humans. Oleander consumption has been linked to deaths, and children are especially vulnerable. There can be a number of symptoms in pets, including arrhythmia, vomiting, and frostbite.
6. Caladium
A plant native to South America, also known as elephant ear or angel’s wing, calacdium is a perennial shrub or small tree. Caladium plants are poisonous in all of their parts, even though they are easy to care for and popular. Any part of the plant that is eaten can cause respiratory problems, swelling, difficulty breathing, speaking, and swallowing, as well as throat closure. It may result in death. This condition is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, difficulty walking, and excessive drooling in pets.
However….
By taking precautions, it is possible to reap the benefits of many of these poisonous houseplants without the risks.
- Children and pets should not be able to reach the plants (consider bird cages if you have a cat who likes to climb).
- Ensure that leaves falling from the plants are regularly swept up.
- Your kids should be aware of the inherent dangers.
- Label poisonous plant pots clearly.
- Avoid handling these plants without gloves or without washing your hands.