J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Anyone else got a crop this year ?

They look lovely and are free but are poisonous, hadn't realised just how poisonous they are, not itchy or stingy, just fit into the can kill you quite easily category, decided to remove the ones that are hanging down as the dog was rooting around in them.

Anyone actually heard of anybody being poisoned ?

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

link a pic up... I have stuff that stinks of lemon.... and those bloody stingers... note to oneself.. Wear jeans when strimming!

bigsinky

Depending on the species, the digitalis plant may contain several deadly physiological and chemically related cardiac and steroidal glycosides. Thus, the digitalis has earned several more sinister names: Dead Man’s Bells, and Witches’ Gloves.
The entire plant is toxic (including the roots and seeds). Mortality is rare, but case reports do exist. Most plant exposures occur in children younger than 6 years and are usually unintentional and without associated significant toxicity. More serious toxicity occurs with intentional ingestions by adolescents and adults.[13] Early symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations, delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the severity of the toxicosis the victim may later suffer irregular and slow pulse, tremors, various cerebral disturbances, especially of a visual nature (unusual colour visions with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights), convulsions, and deadly disturbances of the heart. For a case description, see the paper by Lacassie.[14]
There have been instances of people confusing digitalis with the relatively harmless Symphytum (comfrey) plant (which is often brewed into a tea) with fatal consequences. Other fatal accidents involve children drinking the water in a vase containing digitalis plants. Drying does not reduce the toxicity of the plant. The plant is toxic to animals including all classes of livestock and poultry, as well as felines and canines.
Digitalis poisoning can cause heart block and either bradycardia (decreased heart rate) or tachycardia (increased heart rate), depending on the dose and the condition of one's heart. It should however be noted, that electric cardioversion (to "shock" the heart) is generally not indicated in ventricular fibrillation in digitalis toxicity, as it can increase the dysrhythmia in digitalis toxicity.[citation needed] Also, the classic drug of choice for VF (ventricular fibrillation) in emergency setting,[15] amiodarone, can worsen the dysrhythmia caused by digitalis, therefore, the second-choice drug Lidocaine is more commonly used.[citation needed]

alphaj12

Yup, digitalis. Look lovely but poisonous....thing is you'd have to extract the poison and then take it. Just having them in your garden won't hurt you. Quite handy if you want to murder your missus though.

David Lock

It's digitalis isn't it. Heart stuff.

Refined into Digoxin which I take every day

Nice plants - 2 year cycle.

dl

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

"Got a new type of salad leaf in Sainsbury's love, what do you reckon"

"Its ok, David Lock eats it, and he is a doctor....."

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Out of interest David, I know doctors aren't allowed to prescribe stuff for themselves, so how does it work, do you have to go to your GP same as us, or do you say "Just do us a quick prescription for a Speedball with a Viagra chaser" to another GP at your practice, do you get into arguments about what to prescribe with each other ?

Do you self diagnose all the time ?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Dont mention Cycling or cycles, Jef will be in for a good medical discussion about it !

David Lock

I am simply a patient just like he rest of you plebs

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I collected seeds from one plant, near the Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire, over thirty years ago.

It's descendants have now populated two homes here and the house in France, plus the neighbours here have some too.

It's NOT dangerous unless you eat it. Animals and humans are not affected by touching it and no animal would eat it.

Just enjoy one of nature's beautiful wild flowers.

oldsplice

LOADS of plants are poisonous, (rhubarb leaves, for example) but as long as you are sensible, and wash your hands after handling them, and watch pets (mostly when they are pups or kittens), then you should be ok.


Forgot to say........I've always had loads of foxgloves in the garden, because bees love 'em.

Leslie

Quite right Oldsplice. always a matter of using a bit of common sense and making sure your children know what they are up to as well.

No one has mentioned deadly nightshade yet, very tempting looking but very poisonous black berries. We were certainly warned about it as children. We used to see it growing wild everywhere.

It is even related to tomatoes and potatoes apparently!

It also is used to produced heart medicine

Les

windyboy

ooooohhhhhh plants !!!!!! I thought that you were talking about abusing aminals so that your hands didn't get cold, silly me !!!!!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Think my kids are safe, mainly as they are all teenagers but also most of a Foxglove is green and they aint keen on that kind of ****, plus its in the garden and there is no Xbox or pc out there, it rains out there as well, plus they have a deep suspicion of any food that does not come in a box/bag labelled "Old El Paso" or "Doritos".

The Dog ont he other hand I saw munching on the grass near it, he isnt the smartest creature so I removed the one that had been blown over anyway.

TelBoy

Aha, one of my pet subjects, poisonous plants.

About four years ago i went to Alnwick garden (HAVE to do for any even the mildly green fingered) and was captivated my their Poison Garden.

So much so that i incorporated as many of them into my garden as possible. The "holy grail" if there is such a thing, is the castor oil plant whose beans contain ricin, one of the deadliest non-radioactive compounds to humans. I don't have one of those because you're not strictly allowed to grow it, but i do have Oleander, Nightshade, Yew, Rhododendrons, Lobelia, daffodils and lots and lots of Aconites (Monkshood), all potentially lethal. Oleander in particular is one-leaf fatal.

But if you treat them with common sense, they're no different from any other plant, as long as you don't have young children.

In respect of foxgloves, yes they can be an irritant, and in extreme cases fatal, but i don't think there have been any recorded fatalities in the UK. Pretty plants in the right setting, i certainly wouldn't let their toxicity prevent me from planting them.

Leslie

Aren't you supposed to soak broad beans in water overnight before cooking them? I seem to remember something like that.

Les

spender(again)

iTrader: (1)

That'll be kidney beans.................

Leslie

Yes ok-shows how much I know about cooking!

Les

mart360

Or laburnum tree's there pods /seeds are toxic to as are many flowers

I seem to recall tulips and daffs are pretty good at doing a bit of topping lol


Mart

Leslie

Its all a bit of a worry then!

Les

Turbohot

You didn't do too bad, Les. A lot of today's kids don't even know that chicken, in fact, is a bird. To them, chicken is just a nugget, and fish finger is really a fish's finger.

TelBoy

Quote amended, but yes, Laburnum trees are potentially lethal, or at least their seeds are as you say. Again, cases of poisoning are rare. After all, who comes into contact with Laburnum seeds these days when there's so much wonderful fun to be had inside in front of the telly instead these days?

Daff bulbs are toxic yes, as per my post. Tulips no not really, tummy ache at the worst.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Have a laburnum tree in the front garden, which requires me to duck below the lowest branches to cut the grass beneath it. I find if I get scratched when trying to cut around the tree it itches like crazy for a few hours. Wasn't aware the tree had the ability to poision. I guess as suggested the tree is more likely to kill me by falling on me than poisioning occuring.