12 Houseplants that can be dangerous for kids and pets

Everyone loves flowers. After all, they are beautiful and perfume the environment. But sometimes we can be so enchanted by their beauty that we run the risk of taking home plants we know nothing about. And this ignorance can have unpleasant consequences.

O awesome.club made a list of some of the flowers that can cause problems if they are present in your home.

It is a beautiful and peculiar flower, but make no mistake: it can be very dangerous. Lily of the valley is poisonous because it contains convalatoxin. It is poisonous even if placed in water. The substance is safe in very small doses, but even a slight overdose can cause arrhythmia and block the communication between the heart and the rest of the body. In severe cases, it can cause difficulty breathing and a decrease in the functioning of the nervous system.

Although they draw attention for their beauty, lilies are also poisonous, especially for cats. They are also dangerous to humans because of licorine, an alkaloid found in the bulb and stems. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, excessive salivation, chills, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

We are used to hearing about saffron when it comes to spices: everyone knows that it gives an incredible flavor to savory dishes and even some desserts. And many people would love to have such a plant at home, especially for the beauty of its flowers. But this type of saffron is very poisonous due to the presence of the toxin colchicine, which can cause symptoms such as vomiting blood, damage to the bone marrow, diarrhea and irritation of the oral mucosa. After intoxication, a human being can only be saved after seeking medical attention.which should perform a stomach wash.

The leaves, stems, roots and other parts of tulips contain a number of toxic compounds. The bulbs are somewhat reminiscent of onions, and this caused many Dutch people to eat the plant during the scarcity of the Second World War. The results of this were fatal in many cases. Eating tulip bulbs can cause dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain and, more rarely, seizures and death.

The main problem with ranunculus is that it has a lot of poisonous parts. This plant releases corrosive volatile substances with a pungent smell that irritates the eyes and causes pain, tearing and even temporary blindness. If a person swallows a piece of the stem of this flower, they will experience gastric cramps, nausea, vomiting and severe spasms. After touching it, the skin may break out. When you find such a flower, examine the leaves carefully, as they are the ones that make the difference between the different types of buttercups. Remember exactly what it looks like and never touch it. Not worth it!

Even the smell of white dictamus can cause poisoning. Flowers and seeds are the most dangerous parts of the plant. During the first few hours, the victim doesn’t even feel bad, but soon blisters appear that resemble second-degree burns. If the person does not receive medical attention, the blisters become very painful ulcers. When a large area of ​​skin is affected, the wound can be fatal.

Oleanders are known for their scent reminiscent of vanilla and almonds. Therefore, many people like to have this plant at home. But the truth is that even pollen is already extremely toxic. It contains oleandrin and other cardioglycosides which, when inhaled, can lead to nausea and heart failure. In antiquity, the poison of this flower was used in the preparation of arrows. And there is even a record of 12 people who were poisoned after preparing meat mixed with oleanders.

All parts of wolf grass are also extremely poisonous. Even the smell of flowers affects the human body pathologically. Toxicity depends on the area where the plant grew (climate and soil conditions), as well as its type and age. Ornamental species lose their harmful properties after 2 or 3 years, but you still need to be very careful🇧🇷 The toxic alkaloids present in the flower have a paralyzing effect: if ingested orally, they block the muscles of the mouth and later, the muscles of the arms and legs. After a while, the victim may have convulsions and respiratory arrest.

Clematis contains a toxin called anemonine (an irritating glycoside), that affects pets and humans with a single touch🇧🇷 May cause dermatitis, mild burning and mouth ulcers. Animals such as cats, dogs and horses are most affected, suffering from nausea and excessive salivation. In other words: keep your pets away from this flower.

The shape of the flowers resembles a spur, hence the popular name. There is a poison present in the roots and leaves of the giant spur that can cause respiratory arrest, followed by damage to the heart🇧🇷 The effect is due to its main alkaloid, delphinine, which has properties very similar to those of aconitine.

This plant is well known for the beauty and size of its flowers, but keeping it at home is very risky. The toxicity of azaleas was well known in antiquity. Xenophon of Athens, a disciple of Socrates, wrote chronicles reporting the inappropriate behavior of Greek soldiers who ate honey produced by bees that roamed such flowers. The plant is rich in andromedotoxin, which causes nausea, severe pain, paralysis and even death.

Most of the flowers mentioned above are found in the wild, but this one can be purchased at any florist. Hydrangea is a wonderful flower, but also poisonous: all its parts contain hydrogen cyanide🇧🇷 When poisoned with this plant, at best you will feel weakness, nausea and increased sweat production. But if you are not so lucky, you will have changes in the central nervous system, respiratory arrest and, in extreme cases, death can happen. Of course, you can have this plant at home, but it’s always good to admire it from afar.

All the plants mentioned in this post, although toxic, are really beautiful. What’s your favourite? Do you have any of them at home? Leave your comment and take care of your health!