Poisonous Plants

Paracelcus (1493-1541) said that "All substances are poisons there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy". The Poison Control Centers (PCCs) of the United States reported over 30000 potential exposures to toxic plants in children younger than 5 years in 2012, accounting for 2.8 per cent of medical consultations in this age group. This demographic is consistent with the ready availability of plants at home and in public locations and suggests that most plant exposures are unintentional. For this reason, a comprehensive understanding of the types of toxins present in a plant and the likely clinical manifestations following exposure is critical and the focus of this book. Not every specific plant discussed in the book is illustrated, nor are all the horticultural varieties illustrated. Some groups of ornamental plants may have hundreds of cultivars that have been named, each with a slightly different appearance or characteristic. Thus, many of the plants shown in the photographs are representative of the appearance of only a small group of species cultivars within the family or genus that might have toxic properties.