It is impossible to imagine any living space without the presence of indoor flowers in it. They not only create a beautiful and cozy atmosphere in the house, but also purify the air, enriching it with oxygen. However, it must be remembered that not all plants are harmless. The article discusses the types of harmful indoor plants for human he alth.
Philodendron plant
The philodendron plant is on any list of harmful indoor plants. There are about 700 different species of this plant. Most of them grow in tropical areas, where they weave through trees and feed using their aerial roots. Some types of philodendron have adapted to life in colder and drier climates, among which there are houseplants.
If there is a philodendron among domestic flowers, then you need to know that it does not pose any threat to human he alth if it is not eaten. All parts of a flowerare poisonous because the roots, stem and leaves of the plant contain calcium oxalate, a poisonous crystalline chemical.
Small doses of calcium oxalate lead to burning sensations in the lips and mouth, slightly larger doses cause severe irritation of the throat, as a result of which a person can lose his voice, and also lead to progressive pain in the stomach. Finally, if calcium oxalate enters the body in large quantities, it causes convulsive muscle contractions, loss of consciousness and death. Even if death is avoided, the affected person may suffer from liver and kidney failure for the rest of their lives. Since any child puts everything in his mouth, the philodendron is undoubtedly one of the indoor plants dangerous for children.
Beautiful and dangerous Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia is another tropical plant that was brought to Europe in the 19th century from Central America. It quickly gained popularity with home flower growers due to its beauty (large green leaves with white spots), as well as unpretentiousness in relation to sunlight. Currently, it can be found in residential premises, company offices, hospitals and even kindergartens.
Why can't dieffenbachia be kept at home and in rooms where children are? The fact is that all the green parts of this plant are toxic. Of course, the poison of the plant is not as strong as in the case of the philodendron, but it can cause severe allergic reactions.skin reaction, itching, and temporary loss of voice. This happens when a person begins to chew the leaves or stems of a plant, or when Dieffenbachia juice gets on the skin. All these negative symptoms explain why Dieffenbachia should not be kept at home.
As a rule, all these symptoms are not dangerous and are eliminated with activated charcoal and antihistamines. After contact with the juice of the plant on the skin of the hands or face, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the substance with plenty of water.
Blossoming hydrangea
This beautiful plant originates from the south of Asia. It is grown in many gardens and houses, as the hydrangea has very beautiful flowers and inflorescences of various colors. In addition, the flowers on the plant delight from spring to autumn.
However, hydrangea is a harmful houseplant for human he alth, because its leaves (in low concentration) and flowers (in high concentration) contain hydragin. From a chemical point of view, it is a glucoside in which a glucose molecule is combined with cyanide. Note that various glucosides are used in some chemical technological processes to isolate the necessary substances from extracts. This uses chemical hydrolysis.
When hydrangine hydrangine enters the human body, no hydrolysis occurs, so the cyanide remains in a bound state and, in theory, should not harm the body. However, there is documentary evidence that people, dogs and even horses have been poisoned by hydrangea.
Small primrose flower
Often in many bedrooms and children's rooms you can see primrose flowers. Indeed, what could be better than decorating the windowsills of apartments and houses with these multi-colored small indoor flowers! But is it possible to grow primrose at home?
Every amateur gardener who deals with this genus of flowers should know that during flowering they release toxic substances (alkaloids), which, with prolonged exposure to the body, cause nausea and dizziness. Moreover, the flowers of this plant also contain poisonous chemical compounds that can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is recommended to grow primrose in well-ventilated non-sleeping areas, for example, on the verandas of houses.
It is interesting to note that many sources of information about plants talk about the many medicinal properties of primrose, which it actually has, but are silent about the fact of its toxicity.
Unpretentious Azalea
Azaleas are gorgeous houseplants that bloom in early spring for several weeks. It is unpretentious and prefers to grow in shaded areas. Azalea is a slow growing plant, some species can live 50 years or more. People have been growing azaleas at home for several centuries. Initially, it was bred in gardens and parks, then they began to grow it as an indoor flower.
However, the azalea is also a harmful houseplant because its leaves contain glucosides. Thesechemicals, when ingested, cause poisoning, cardiac arrhythmia and death. Of course, death occurs only when large amounts of glucosides enter the body. In any case, the azalea should be grown in places that are inaccessible to children and pets.
Cactus Trichocereus
Cultivation of Trichocereus cactus as indoor plants has become a fashion in recent years. The cacti themselves grow in nature in the western part of the Andes, in South America, at an altitude of 2-3 km above sea level. They grow quickly and are quite unpretentious. However, this plant is not harmless to humans.
What is dangerous cactus Trichocereus? Its stem contains the alkaloid mescaline, which is a strong hallucinogenic and psychotropic substance. It is known that in ancient times, the Indians used this substance, extracted from a cactus, as a way to introduce a person into a trance during their pagan rituals. When mescaline enters the body, after 1 hour the first symptoms begin to appear: nausea and vomiting. After 2-4 hours, a person has a feeling of euphoria, profuse sweating, visual hallucinations, loss and sudden changes in mood. These symptoms may last up to 12 hours after eating parts of the cactus. If ingested in large quantities, mescaline can cause paralysis of the central nervous system.
Currently, scientific research is underway to elucidate the mechanism of action of mescaline on the human nervous system. ATthis chemical compound is not used for medical purposes.
Adenium flower
This houseplant has a small size, a characteristic thickening at the base of the stem that serves as a water reservoir, and beautiful pink or red flowers depending on the species. However, growing adenium at home is not safe.
In the wild, adenium grows on the African continent and is called the "desert rose". For centuries, some African tribes have used an extract extracted from adenium flowers as a poison for their arrows and spears. To obtain this poison, the flowers of the plant are boiled for 12 hours, removing all the water and leaving only the active substance.
The poison contained in the resulting substance is so strong that if a poisoned arrow hits an animal, it is not able to escape even 2 km. With the help of adenium toxin, African tribes hunt large animals of their area, including elephants.
The active substance of the plant's poison is called ouabain. When it enters the body in large doses, respiratory failure occurs almost instantly, and the person dies.
Croton plant
The croton plant is a frequent inhabitant of many houses and apartments. Croton is native to Oceania, specifically the Pacific country of Malaysia. This plant is valued for the variety of shapes and colors of its leaves, which can reach sizes up to 90 cm and have colors from orange and yellow to red andbrown. Due to its size and leaf color, croton immediately attracts the attention of a person who entered the room with this plant. As for the flowers themselves, they do not differ in anything special in Croton, in addition, it rarely blooms at home.
Can I keep croton at home? Of course, you can, but you need to know that its juice is poisonous. If you cut off the tip of a leaf or stem of a plant, then a white rubbery liquid will immediately come out of it, which consists of starch granules, alkaloids and enzymes. This fluid can irritate the mucous membranes and skin, causing blisters to appear on the skin. If croton juice is ingested, a person may experience diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a decrease in heart rate. All of the above suggests that croton should be handled with care and kept out of reach of children.
Cast bean
Among the plants that cannot be kept at home, castor beans should occupy one of the first places. Usually this plant is grown outdoors in gardens, but some gardeners prefer to see it at home. The houseplant is valued for the beauty of the shape of its leaves, which have a dark purple color. However, castor bean seeds are highly poisonous. If you chew or swallow such a seed, then a person develops gastroenteritis, and dehydration occurs due to diarrhea and vomiting. The liver and kidneys are also affected. Castor bean poison is one of the most powerfulknown biological poisons. So, one castor bean seed can kill a cat, two - a dog or a child, three or four will lead to the death of an adult.
The toxicity of castor bean seeds is related to the protein ricin, which is present in them. Once in the body, this protein reacts with the ribosomes of the cell and prevents protein synthesis. This leads to the death of cells and, as a result, of the whole organism.
It is interesting to note that castor bean seed oil is one of the best laxatives. When preparing this remedy, it is heat-treated, which leads to the destruction of poisonous ricin.
Currently, castor bean seed oil is used in the industry in the production of paints, varnishes and lubricants for automotive brake systems.
Clivia flower
Clivia can also be attributed to the number of harmful poisonous plants. This beautiful plant has dark green, elongated leaves and orange-red large flowers, because of which gardeners grow it. Clivia is native to Africa. The plant begins to spread in the gardens of Europe from the 19th century. Its most famous species is the clivia miniata.
Despite all its beauty and attractiveness, clivia juice contains toxic substances (calcium oxalate), which, if ingested in large quantities, lead to paralysis. Therefore, when working with this plant, for example when performing a transplant procedure, appropriate precautions must be taken. In addition, the clivia in the house should be in places inaccessible tosmall children and animals.
Cyclamen, or Alpine violet
Cyclamen is one of the most harmful indoor plants. Plant lovers grow cyclamen in their homes for its beautiful little purple flowers and the pleasant smell they exude.
However, the leaves and roots of the plant are poisonous to both humans and pets. The poisonous substance of the plant is cyclamine - a saponin that has a strong emetic and laxative effect. If cyclamine is ingested, it causes severe digestive disorders, vomiting and diarrhea, a general feeling of weakness, abdominal pain, kidney failure and paralysis.
All of the above suggests that the pot with alpine violet should be placed in places where children and animals cannot get it, in this case the plant will not be able to do any harm, and it will be possible to admire it with pleasure.
Monstera flower
Already by the name alone, one can say that one should be careful with this plant, because it means "monster" from the Latin language. Monstera received this name for the unusual shape of its leaves, which have natural holes, as well as for its huge size, since in the wild it can grow up to 20 m in height. Monstera is grown as an indoor flower because of its large dark green leaves with holes, as well as because of its undemanding sunlight and easy care. Monster oftencan be seen not only in the homes of amateur gardeners, but also in the office space of various companies.
Despite this, the flower can be safely included in the list of those plants that cannot be kept at home, since all its parts are poisonous due to the content of calcium oxalate in them. If parts of the monstera enter the body, they cause vomiting, paralysis of the tongue and general serious poisoning of the body, as a result, medical intervention will be required to eliminate dangerous symptoms. If monstera juice comes into contact with the face, it causes a strong burning sensation and swelling of the face.
Given the large size of the plant, it is very difficult to place it out of the reach of children and pets at home, so it is recommended not to breed monstera at home.
It is interesting to note that it is commercially grown because of the fruit, which is completely harmless.
