As the Garden Grows

What's blooming today?


You are here: Home / Archives for In The Garden / House Plants

Your home and toxic houseplants

by

Have you ever thought about, or wondered as to how many house plants that are currently in your home would be unsafe if eaten by a child, pet or even an adult? Not that adults are going around eating leaves off houseplants- but either way, some of the plants we have in our home are toxic and often the plant owner doesn’t realize just how dangerous they could be.

I’ve compiled a list of plants that have toxic properties. I’m not advocating removing them from your home- just that you be aware of which plants are toxic and what kinds of symptoms they can cause. Any plants in your home that are known to be toxic should be placed well out of reach of small children or house pets.

Members of the Araceae family

These plants contain needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate that penetrate and irritate tissues of the mouth and throat. Chemicals in their sap, such as asparagine, a protein, also can cause inflammation of mucous membranes. Plants in this family include dieffenbachia, philodendron, caladium, and elephant’s ear. Symptoms of poisoning from dieffenbachia are intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue, and lips. Although rare, if the reaction is severe enough, the swelling can seal off the breathing passages. Philodendron, caladium, and elephant’s ear produce the same types of symptoms when ingested. If a piece of the corm, the underground stem, is eaten, symptoms are a fiery burning of the mouth and throat. Jack-in-the-pulpit is a native member to watch in this family.

Members of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family

Most members of the spurge family have a milky sap this is acrid and toxic. This sap can cause dermatitis in some people and poisoning if eaten by someone who is allergic to the chemicals in the sap. Members of this family include the crown-of-thorns, the pencil tree also know as the milk bush, poinsettia, and snow-on-the-mountain. Snow-on-the-mountain can cause blisters and skin burns.

It is appropriate to note here the debate about the poinsettia. The original warnings on this plant were from a report in 1919 on a child who died in Hawaii where poinsettia is used as an outdoor ornamental. However, laboratory tests have NOT confirmed the toxicity of the plant when ingested. Poison control centers receive many reports each year of ingestion of poinsettia, but only occasional abdominal pain and nausea have been documented.

Members of the Solanaceae family

These plants contain solanine, a poisonous glycoalkaloid, that is extremely toxic even in small amounts. Jerusalem cherry is an ornamental in this family. Eating its berries cause symptoms ranging from headaches and stomach pains to shock and paralysis of the circulatory and respiratory systems. However, not all members of the Solanaceae family are toxic; for example, tomatoes and peppers.

Now that you are aware of possible dangers with certain houseplants, you can take steps to ensure the safety of others around these lovely plants. Try using hanging baskets, high shelves, or window boxes to keep plants away from children. You don’t need to stop displaying the plants mentioned above, just do so carefully.






Heirloom Houseplants

by

Did you know that in the Victorian Era that many of the peoples homes were filled with houseplants? It’s more amazing still when you realize that most of those homes were quite chilly. It just goes to show that if you place a plant in the correct place it will thrive.

Modern homes are much better insulated than the homes of Victorian times, and our plants are nice and cozy. Although many people turn down the heat at night to save money on energy bills and the tropical plants that are available to us these days many not do well with this low temperatures. Tropicals do very poorly if temperatures fall below 60 F on a regular basis. If your habits involve turning down the heat at night you might be better suited to having some of the Heirloom plants of old that survived and flourished in those cool old homes.

Cast iron plant, or aspidistra, has the reputation of being a house plant that can take a lot of abuse, It’s name is well suited as it can withstand low temperatures, dim light, and even neglect. While this plant is not showy, it is dependable and can provide graceful green leaves for the most difficult corner.

Another familiar plant in Victorian parlors was the snake plant, or sansivieria. This plant will grow at nearly any temperature above freezing, and will take other stress as well as the cast iron plant. Given moderate care, snake plants can be quite attractive with their glossy, mottled foliage.

Care for either aspidistra or sansivieria is simple. Water them when the soil is almost completely dry. Provide as much light as practical. Fertilize them with water soluble fertilizer according to package directions from April through September.

If there is no room for a plant in the heated parts of the house, consider growing the hart’s tongue fern. It was used in the past for unheated rooms and could certainly be used on an unheated porch or breezeway today. This fern has deep green fronds with curled edges. Grow it in bright but indirect sun and keep it in a cool spot in the summer. Provide extra humidity by placing the pot on a tray of moist pebbles if temperatures go above 70 degrees F. Let the soil dry somewhat between thorough soakings of the soil. Fertilize it with half strength water soluble fertilizer once a month throughout the year.

To get a little color in a chilly home, try growing various epiphyllums or holiday cacti. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter cacti all set their bloom when nighttime temperatures cool to 50 degrees F. Provide them with bright light. In spring and summer keep the soil evenly moist and fertilize them every six weeks with a low nitrogen fertilizer. At other times of the year reduce watering and discontinue fertilizing. Many varieties are available.

Caring for flowering plants

by

The holidays will be upon us soon and one of the gifts that is given most often to friends, and relatives as we travel back and forth from dinner party to house party is the flowering plant. Flowering plants mark festive occasions, convey best wishes, and brighten our holiday tables.

Some of these gifted holiday plants may become members of your household plant family, others that are more difficult to care for or to get to rebloom will be discarded shortly after the holidays end.

Most gift plants will benefit from strong natural lights in order to help them grow and build up extra energy for reblooming. If given warm sunny conditions the plant will require more water than if they were to be kept in cool offices or stores that are illuminated by artificial lighting. In most cases you will need to keep the plants soil moist but be very careful not to over water or under water as over watering will lead to fatal root rot, and under watering will cause wilt. Foil wrappings and plastic-lined baskets are popular pot covers, but allowing water to collect in them keeps soil saturated and causes root rot. Water your plants with tepid or room-temperature water to avoid shocking roots.

If you keep the plants in cool locations the blooms will stay fresh and colorful longer. They wither or drop when exposed to cold drafts and the extremes of heat common near fireplaces and radiators. Dry air can reduce bloom time, too. Increase humidity by grouping plants on a tray of moist pebbles.

Christmas cactus is a long-lived plant that can bloom heavily each year if given the proper treatment. Keep its soil moist from now through next September, then let it go quite dry. Cacti grown dry and cool in fall will set buds in time for the holidays. However, flower buds may drop if Christmas cactus goes too dry or if humidity is too low.

Huge trumpet-shaped Amaryllis flowers perch atop a massive stalk. As flowers fade, remove them but leave the stalk to wither on its own. Then grow your amaryllis as any other sun-loving houseplant, fertilizing regularly from spring until late summer.

Provide amaryllis with a two month rest in late autumn. Quit watering and allow the foliage to yellow, and dry up, then trim it away and put the dormant plant in a cool, dark place until November. At that time, you can start to force new growth by giving it sun and water.

Gardeners seeking maximum bulb growth often plant amaryllis directly in a sunny garden outdoors, after the threat of frost in spring. Otherwise, leave your plants in potbound condition, repotting only every two or three years. Both amaryllis and Christmas cactus are among the most reliable indoor bloomers.

Cyclamen is an attractive flowering foliage plant that comes from the store with mature blossoms as well as buds in all stages of development. Give it a cool location and all the sun possible. Making it bloom again next fall is a challenge best reserved for experienced gardeners. Most plant hobbyists choose to discard the plant after the blooming period is over.

Christmas peppers are pungent-fruited ornamentals that remain colorful for weeks if given strong light and cool temperatures. Raised from seed, peppers are inexpensive and easy to discard once they lose their red fruit.

A pepper relative, Jerusalem cherry, is covered with round red fruit, poisonous if eaten. Care for it as you would Christmas pepper, discarding the plant after fruit drops. Keep its soil moist.

If your poinsettia still looks good after the holidays, place it near a sunny window and keep the soil watered. New shoots will appear as the weather warms. Cut back the stems after bracts fade or drop off. If your poinsettia has gone downhill, prune it back to about four inches, set it near a sunny window and water often enough to keep it moist. It should sprout new stems when spring comes.

Bringing poinsettias back into bloom next year is possible if you water and fertilize through spring and summer, pinching new growth to encourage good form. Around October first, give your poinsettia total darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. every day. Anything less than complete, absolute darkness during these hours will interfere with blooming. Continue fertilizing and watering, and your plant will show color by December. When bracts start turning red, you can stop the dark treatment.

Meta