I was at a hotel in San Francisco the other night and they had some brugs on the patio. There was a couple there and they were licking a yellow brug flower saying it tasted sweet. I asked them if they realized that Brugs are toxic plants. They were clueless.
Do you think the flowers are toxic, too, or is it just the seeds and leaves?
~Angela
Are Brug flowers toxic?
I know it takes all kinds, but, at the least, I would think they would consider that the flowers might have been sprayed with a foliar fertiziler, which could be poisonous, or other flower sprays that might make a person ill...
ill? I heard they were deadly, any part of the plant. Someone posted not long ago, in Ohio of teens making a tea out of the flowers and (not sure all the story) but one died or both or they got deathly sick, but yes, good grief, I can't believe they were licking them LOL. You just don't know what's poisonous or not till you ask though, but I don't think I'd be licking any flower if I didn't know for sure.
I've had 'brug eye' a couple of times, after rubbing my eye after tending to them, so I don't doubt they might and probably are deadly but oleander is too and tons of other stuff. And, I've eaten crystalized rose petals, so who knows...
Yep, I never knew elephant ears were toxic either LOL. there are tons of things out there that aren't and lots of edible flowers too. It's hard to keep up with it all though, I'd be telling those folks to go brush, rinse with listerine and by all means don't swallow LOL
I'm sure I don't have the correct figure but I read that LOTS of stuff in yardens is poison, and that even some of the poison plants have a place in medicine, and, I think brugs might be used in a med to dilate the eyes, I know it dilated my eye and I believe someone on this forum said it's used in an eye med, I'm not at all positive about that...but I still would NOT eat or lick one...
I'd have told them about Manure sprays too; just to watch their expressions ;)
Hahahaha, lagata, isn't that the truth, goodness, maybe someone spiked their tea...
Too funny, all of you! Yep, I thought they were nuts. You don't need to know a thing about plants to know that you shouldn't eat (or lick) anything that you don't know is edible.
The gal said she had a drop of moisture from the flower and tasted it and it was sweet. I can believe that because the flowers smelled good enough to eat...but I bet poisonous mushrooms are probably tasty, too.
The brug plants did make me think though...children might be attracted to them and they were within very easy reach. I know so many plants are poisonous. Now that my kids are older, I no longer have to worry about what is planted in my garden. I wonder if plants that are very toxic should be planted in public spaces where they are within reach of little people.
Your thoughts?
p_f, I would not dream of telling someone they were not poison and possibly deadly, but I didn't have a clue that they were poison until I'd had one about 10 months, and way after I had collected more. I have young grands and very young grand nieces, nephews, LOTS of small babies, toddlers, and other visitors and animals, cats, dogs. They've all seen them blooming and the dogs/cats have full access to them, and we've never had a problem with them or the EEs or oleander, and other poison plants. We also have poison ivy and we've never had one with that either. I've had dogs that dug to China that never went near the brugs or other poison plants and the cats scratch on their trunks occasionally, with no problems. Not to say it couldn't happen, but it isn't a concern to me, except to make sure anyone that touches them, washes their hands really well...have any of you guys had trouble with them???
Some large cuttings went over the fence into the goat field with some other brush without my being aware of it. The goats ate everything except the brugs. They are supposed to be horribly bitter, so that even goats and deer don't eat them.
But my brother has a stoner cat that wouldn't leave them alone indoors, sneaking into the room he kept them in and eating the tops off. The cat is quite alive, and irritated that brother put his stash outside for the summer. My cats sniff them, but don't even nibble.
I was going to use the poinsettia argument but then I just found out that poinsettias aren't toxic. LOL.
Only in San Francisco would people pick a flower and start to lick it. LOL. So which hotel was it Angela? Which brugs were they? I may have to go visit.
I was so shocked to see which plants were posionous when I was just looking to see if the brug flowers are. Look at all these. I have so many of them in my yard too. No one better let my DH know. He does most of the cooking in the house. LOL
http://russiantortoise.org/toxic-plants.htm
And look at the plants toxic to fish.
http://www.cnykoi.com/articles/plantpoisonous.asp
And did you know daylilies are very toxic to cats?
Anyway, I did find one source that said brug flowers can cause hallucinations. Are you sure they weren't licking them on with a reason?
Brugs and Datura are rich in alkaloids making them HIGHLY toxic. I recently read some history on both brugmansias and daturas. The use of these plants by different Indian tribes in regions where they grew wild dates back to the stone ages. Recognizing the strong hallucinogenic properties, they were used freely in rituals and customs. It was used as an "anesthetic" and was sometimes used on members of their own tribe they planned on killing "so their senses could not recognize the fate that was in store for them". Other tribes explained the stong intoxicating effect as that of having supernatural, god-like powers. It was used to make contact with the gods or spirits, believing the level of consciousness achieved enabled them to ask for help and receive advice. Others believed they could contact the spirits of their ancestors who would give them information about hidden treasures in long forgotten graves. It was not used as a hallucinogen because the terrifying visions and extremely unpleasant effects were believed to be the effects of evil spirits. Even today, this plant is still used by many tribes for its medicinal purposes (to treat sepsis, rheumatic pains, varicose veins, infestation of worms, streptococcal infection, as an enemic, to dialate eyes, and as an antispasmotic). To read a description of the physical effects it had when ingested, makes me wonder whether these people licking the flowers are still among the living.
Day lilies toxic to cats, now isn't that something, I had no idea. Tell ya what, I'm not sure I've ever grown anything except herbs that's not toxic!! Thanks for the cites Kell...
Some herbs are toxic too, LOL, nothing's safe any more LOL
Sherry, I've never had problems with plants in my own yard either. I don't plant corn cockle anymore because I have a dumb cat who used to like to nibble on that and it's supposed to be toxic.
Lagat, it sounds like your brother has a wacky cat! Perhaps he's a leftover from the sixties! I have heard of teenagers getting very ill or dying from eating the seed pods from Brugs.
Kell, I was suprised at all the additional poisonous plants that are in my garden, too. This makes me wonder since I am a composter, if I should compost the toxic stuff, or put it in the green recycling. I'd hate to add rody and brug stuff in my compost, then added to my tomato plants and end up in a hallucinogenic state.
What do you think, Cissyb? You are a wealth of information on "the dark side" of Brugs! Oh well, I guess if I were going to be killed by my tribe, I might as well have my senses dulled first.
Kell, it was the White Swan Inn in SF on Bush St, near Powell. It is a cute European, boutique style hotel. They had two large containers on the back patio with Brugs that I *think* were Whiskers. Whiskers was my first Brug and it looked and smelled the same to me.
I can't believe they were "licking" it. Some people are simply unbelievable. I hope they didn't end up in the hospital.
plant_fiend, the San Fran hotel sounds super!!! I'm finished being concerned about the animals and the toxic stuff. I've raised my own kids, my nieces, nephews, now my grands and grand nieces/nephews and a host of animals, all kinds, and just now learn that just about everything in my yarden is toxic. I don't think it will be at the top of my list of concerns, lol. I love San Fran and wish I had been at the hotel to check it out in person...
That would be such a kick if Gloria's Whiskers got all the way out to a hotel in San Francisco! I do believe she grew that seed out for another party. LOL