Treescape® guide to Hazardous Plants and Shrubs Euphorbia sp. Characteristics: Mitigation: > Looks like cactus > Gloves and wrist to ankle cover > White, milky, latex-like sap that is > Facemask / respirator poisonous > Safety glasses > Do not chip Allergens: First Aid: > Breathing in dust can cause severe anaphylactic reaction > If any symptoms present seek > Severe skin irritant – can cause medical advice rash or blisters > Wash affected area with cold > Can cause eye damage or running water immediately blindness > Take a photo of the plant if you suspect poisoning and take it to the doctor 1 Caryota Sp. (Fishtail Plams) Characteristics: Mitigation: > Leaves have a fishtail shape > Gloves and wrist to ankle cover > Facemask / respirator Allergens: > Safety glasses > The whole plant contains needle- > Do not chip like calcium oxalate crystals which First Aid: if chewed or eaten can produce a burning sensation in the mouth. > If any symptoms present seek > Skin contact can result in burning, medical advice itching and dermatitis. > Use soft brush on the skin to > If dust is inhaled it could cause remove oxalate crystals respiratory discomfort 2 Brazillian pepper tree (Schinus spp) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Evergreen tree, grows to 15m • Gloves and wrist to ankle cover • Bright pink to red fruits • Facemask / respirator • Leaves smell peppery when • Safety glasses crushed • Avoid contact with sap on bare skin Allergens: First Aid: • Skin contact with sap can result in burning, itching and dermatitis • If any symptoms present seek • If dust is inhaled it could cause medical advice respiratory discomfort • Wash affected area with cold running water and soap • Avoid direct sunlight on affected area 3 Fig trees (Ficus spp) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Evergreen tree • Gloves • Large leaves, green on top and • Safety glasses hairy bronze on the bottom • Avoid contact with sap on bare • Milky latex like sap skin Allergens: First Aid: • Skin contact with sap can result in • If any symptoms present seek burning, itching and dermatitis medical advice • If dust from leaves is inhaled it • Wash affected area with cold could cause respiratory running water and soap discomfort • Avoid direct sunlight on affected area 4 Box (Buxus sempervirens) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Evergreen shrub, usually used for • Gloves hedges • Safety glasses • Avoid contact with bare skin Allergens: First Aid: • Farm stock, especially cattle are said to have grazed box bushes if • If any symptoms present seek they get into gardens medical advice • Death may occur through • Wash affected area with cold respiratory failure in animals running water and soap • Contact can cause skin rashes and • Avoid direct sunlight on affected the clippings should be handled area with care 5 Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Shrub • Gloves • Glossy palmate leaves • Safety glasses • Dark green to purple leaves • Avoid contact with bare skin Allergens: First Aid: • The broken mottled seeds are • If any symptoms present seek highly toxic if ingested. medical advice • A severe allergic reaction in • Wash affected area with cold certain individuals following skin running water and soap contact with broken seeds • Avoid direct sunlight on affected • The toxic principle is ricin, a area phytotoxalbumin, plus ricinine, an • Call the Poison Centre 0800 764 alkaloid 766 • Symptoms can be immediate or delayed. They are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, depression, trembling, weating, convulsions and coma; may be fatal. 6 Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Shrub or tree to 10m • Gloves • Evergreen • Safety glasses • Flowers on long spikes rather than • Do not ingest clusters First Aid: Allergens: • Seek medical advice immediately • P. laurocerasus poisonous parts if ingested are the wilted leaves, twigs • Call the Poison Centre 0800 764 (stems) and seeds if ingested due 766 to cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin • Symptoms are gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma and respiratory failure; may be fatal. 7 Chinaberry (Melia azedarach) • They may include loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea, bloody faeces, stomach Characteristics: pain, pulmonary congestion, cardiac arrest, rigidity, lack of • Shrub or tree to 10m coordination and general • Evergreen weakness • Flowers on long spikes rather than • Death may take place after about clusters 24 hours. 6 to 8 fruits have been Allergens: reported to cause death in young children • The yellow fruit is poisonous if • The leaves are also toxic and eaten by humans and animals deadly to grazing animals although many birds seem partial to them and are not affected. Mitigation: • Tranortriterpenes have been • Gloves isolated and identified as the main • Safety glasses toxic constituents of the fruit • Do not ingest • The poisonous fruit is toxic to humans and some other First Aid: mammals. Pigs are the most • Seek medical attention susceptible immediately if ingested • In humans, the first symptoms of • Call the poison Centre 0800 764 poisoning appear a few hours 766 after ingestion 8 Five Finger or Whauwhaupaku (Pseudopanax arboreus) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Shrub or small tree to 8m • Gloves • Evergreen • Safety glasses • 5-7 leaflets • Be careful when handling • Purplish black berries in autumn Allergens: First Aid: • Some people may have a skin reaction as it is part of the ivy • If any symptoms present seek family medical advice Wash affected area with cold • Parts of the plant are poisonous if • ingested running water and soap • Avoid direct sunlight on affected area 9 Ivy (Hedera helix) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Evergreen climbing plant, growing • Gloves to 20–30 m • Safety glasses • Or growing as ground cover • Do not ingest • Wrist to ankle cover Allergens: • Avoid contact with bare skin • All parts are poisonous including First Aid: the berries • The toxic principles are • If any symptoms present seek triterpenoid saponins and medical advice polyacetylene compounds which • Wash affected area with cold when ingested will give the running water and soap following symptoms, burning • Avoid direct sunlight on affected sensation of throat, delirium, area stupor, convulsions, hallucinations, fever, and rash • Severe skin irritation with redness, itching, and blisters following contact with cell sap 10 Jasmine, Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Evergreen climbing plant • Gloves • Or growing as ground cover • Safety glasses • Do not ingest Allergens: • Wrist to ankle cover • Star Jasmine is a member of the • Avoid contact with bare skin milkweed family First Aid: • The entire plant is considered mildly poisonous and should not • If any symptoms present seek be consumed medical advice • Handling plant may cause skin • Wash affected area with cold irritation or allergic reaction due running water and soap to its milk-like sap • Avoid direct sunlight on affected • Beware this milk will stain clothes area black 11 Moth Vine or Cruel Vine (Araujia sericifera) Characteristics: Mitigation: • Araujia sericifera is a creeping vine • Gloves that can climb up to 5–7 metres or • Safety glasses growing as ground cover • Do not ingest • The pear-shaped fruits are large • Wrist to ankle cover pods, about 8–10 centimetres • Avoid contact with bare skin Allergens: First Aid: • This serious weed pest has as a white latex in all parts of the plant • If any symptoms present seek that is poisonous medical advice • Contact with its milky sap causes • Wash affected area with cold skin and eyes irritations, and running water and soap occasionally even severe allergic • Avoid direct sunlight on affected reactions in susceptible people area 12 Oleander (Nerium oleander) Characteristics: • Poisoning has occurred when using oleander sticks for sausage • A shrub or small tree and marshmallow roasts and • Oleander grows to 2–6 m (6.6– drinking water in which the 19.7 ft) tall, with erect stems that flowers have been placed splay outward Mitigation: Allergens: • Gloves • Oleander is one of the most • Safety glasses dangerous poisonous plants. If • Do not ingest this plant is being burnt the • Wrist to ankle cover smoke is toxic • Avoid contact with bare skin • The whole plant is highly toxic due to the cardiac glycosides oleandrin, neriine, known for their First Aid: powerful effect on the heart • Oleander causes intense • If any symptoms present seek abdominal pain, vomiting, medical advice diarrhoea, drowsiness, dizziness, • Wash affected area with cold visual disturbances, rapid pulse, running water and soap an irregular heartbeat and heart • Avoid direct sunlight on affected malfunction, often causing death area • The sap if in contact with the skin can cause dermatitis, blistering, irritation and soreness 13 Privet (Ligustrum several species) • low blood pressure, cold and Characteristics: clammy skin possibly lasting 48 to • A shrub or small tree 72 hours • Purplish black seeds, glossy leaves • The pollen might be irritable for those with allergies and the • Smooth green bark heavy, cloying scent of the Allergens: flowers can cause distress for those who can't tolerate heavy The highly toxic parts of this plant • fragrances are the leaves and the berries and should be handled with care Mitigation: • There are even reports of Gloves fatalities in children who have • consumed the berries • Safety glasses Do not ingest • The toxic principles are the • glycosides: syringin (ligustrin),