I gave a cutting to one of my professors who has a 2 year old daughter, and knew to tell him that brugmansias are poisonous but didnt know exactly which part is.
If his daughter pulls off a leaf or flower or pod and eats it, will it kill her? He isn't quite sure where to put it and I told him I'd find out exactly how dangerous they are. Thank you! Susanne
Leaves poisonous?
I am not sure but it stresses that ALL parts of the plant are poisoness
I think the entire plant is poisonous. I've had lots of youngsters around them with no problem, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Lots of plants are poisonous, including Orleander and I have lots, no problem with them either...if I was a new parent, I doubt I'd want the plant in a location where the child might come in contact with it...
If she's two, she's big enough to understand. My sister's grandbabies are 2 1/2 & almost 4. They love the plants and love to smell the flowers, and Alex (the younger one) is always looking for dead leaves to pull off. They know that the rules are that you don't put anything into your mouth, and you wash your hands after you touch the plants.
Maybe she's younger than two...I'm not overly sure. I will talk to him tomorrow night at class and tell him what yall have said and ask how old she is. Thank you very much!
I think the toxin is Atropine. Hawaiians call it "Dead Man"...kids are always getting sick from trying to get high on it...some deaths....
I love em anyway ltho I was terrified of them at first (my mother's neurosis)...
Carol
When I read about brugs- a few articles said you can never be sure how many toxins are in a single part of the plant. One leaf might not affect you at all- then there is that one that can kill you. Seems like the pods are more potent though. If I remember right.
My sister has already chewed me out about having brugs with the kids around here.
All but David are pretty much old enough to know better than to eat our plants though.
Just gotta watch them close I guess.
I am trying to think of the country where people use datura on a regular basis. I dunno- some third world country, lol.
It used to be pretty common practice for people to chew the leaves (I think in America) years ago.
I had some guy begging cuttings from my brugs. He wanted to grow them to make tea and stuff. I'd feel real shoddy if someone died from a plant I was growing or gave them, LOL.
As long as he watches the kids around them- it should be alright. You have already warned him about the possible dangers. :-)
The book I have starts out with stories of the natives cooking up brug brew and having some out-of-body experiences.
Interesting link .................
http://www.biopark.org/peru/toe.html
http://www.shamanshop.net/store/prodpage5.cfm/CategoryID/6000.0/SubCatID/0/file.htm
This message was edited Apr 21, 2005 10:20 AM
Blaine, the way my body is aching tonight, maybe I should try some to get out of this body. LOL
bawaaahahaha
It's also reputed to be the secret ingredient used for creating zombies. Maybe I could use it on the DW or kids for cheap manual labor.
I'm afraid it would take more than that to get labor out of the kids around here. LOL
I just remembered about being told to avert my eyes when cutting a brug...seems there have been cases where the juice "squirted" out, got someone in the eye and the eyes were dialated for a looooong time!!
LOL Carol, that is the same drug used to dialate eyes for the Doc.
Wow I never thought about that Carol. I guess I had better turn my head or wear safety goggles next time I prune. Thanks for passing that on. Now just because I have read about this happening it will most likely happen to me. LOL
Scoot~ You just know way too much. LOL.... Guess it's all that time you have living in the Cold back woods with nothing better to do than read and study. Your just a woman filled with knowledge. U know it All ;-)
Someone here posted a couple years ago that after trimming brugs and heading down the road getting =pulled over for sumpin minor and the officer thought they were on something.
U know it all-most LOL (sorry guys , private joke )