I just wanted to warn all of you with Brugmansias to be careful of the sap. If you do any cutting or break any leaf stems make sure you wash your hands well afterwards. I accidently rubbed some in one of my eyes the other day. The pupil in that eye got very dilated and stayed that way for 2 days. I had no idea it was from the brugmansia and was very worried. I went to the doctor who made arrangements for me to see an ophthalmologist because he thought it was serious. Fortunately I talked to Jeanne and she told me it was probably from the brug sap. Long story short...my eye is fine now and I feel like an idiot. LOLAIN
Brugmansia sap
I did know that handling Brugs can be a little scary and so I have always been careful to wash after fiddling with them. I noticed some people even wear plastic gloves when working with them. I'm glad your eye is ok now Sandy. That would have been frightening.
Yep......DH had that happen to him as well. Only he used a photocopier after and his pupil became very fixed at full dilation. Like you he ended up at emergency thinking he'd had a stroke. The doctor and he spent a lot of time going through what he'd done that day and eventually narrowed it down to the brugmansia.
Wow, you were lucky with your eye. It keeps us on our toes of how many plants can and are poisoness. In the salon here now, I'am looking around for there are children which come threw and I should watch for this as well.
The plant is very dangerous Ingrid....more so if a child decides to put a leaf in his/her mouth.
edited to say it's quite bitter tho so unless a person is bound and determined to digest it they'd spit it out pretty fast.
This message was edited Feb 25, 2005 10:26 AM
Yes heard that brugs and trumpets are very bad, always be very careful
and wash hands really good after handling those plants..
so glad that everything is ok with your eye,
And that's why brugs and dats are wonderful to have in a yard that the deer tramp through!!! They won't touch them with a ten foot pole!!
ggd
Good point, Glenda. So there are definitely some benefits, besides their obvious beauty and fragrance.
Mine was fixed at full dilation too Pam, so I don't think it matters whether you use a photocopier or not. Probably just the daylight will do it. How do you know it's bitter? I hope you weren't doing any taste tests.
I knew they were poisonous but everything I read talked more about ingesting some of the plant in one form or another. I don't think I really thought about having problems just handling the plants and I just happened to rub my eye without thinking. I'm certainly going to be very careful in the future.
I have never had a problem with brugs but I know not to touch my eyes. Now dats are a problem for me. I don't grow them because they give me a skin rash. And some of them just keep popping up in my garden.
That said, I have loads of other plants that might do me in as well, like the dozens of euphorbias I have. Better to be safe than sorry.
Hi, Liz, how are you doing? Dawn and I were wondering how you're mending??? I presume you saw the smoke from the house fire yesterday...my goodness!! Have you help with the plants? I've been in my garden everyday, now since the sun came out aways back..Today I top dressed the big garden in the back..so I'm sitting here, quite stiff! Take care, young lady..........E
Roselaine
Your already in the garden what is the temp there?..We're still in the minus level here. It must be warm enough then in April-wow interesting.
Hi Elaine. I have had a landscape guy cleaning out all my garden beds for 3 days this week. I can't do it myself and I hated to look at it. All the roses need cutting back. Hint, hint. lol JK.