Monday, 14 December 2009

• Which Holiday Plants are Dangerous or Safe?

  
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  Happy Holidays!  As the Holidays arrive and we begin to decorate our homes there are some things we need to keep in mind to ensure that the children (and pets) in our lives stay safe!  Many of us have been going green to help the environment and our wallets : ) so I just wanted to share some plant safety tips with everyone here at Momaroo!

  Dangerous-
  

  Holly Berries:  Every year I bundle up and head outside, scissors in hand, to trim some pretty holly leaves and berries from the holly tree in my yard.  Placing the holly in a pretty jar or vase makes for such a beautiful, natural and inexpensive decoration all winter long!  If digested the berries won’t kill you so that is the good news but if eaten you will definitely end up with bad stomach pains and diarrhea.  So make sure you keep this plant away from kids and pets!
  

  Pine Needles:  I actually just found out that pine needles are toxic when eaten in large amounts!  Who would have thought?  I’m sure you would catch your children before they ate enough of the pine needles to cause stomach irritation but if you have any doubts maybe opt for a fake tree.

  Mistletoe:  Ah, mistletoe, what a sweet decoration to have in the house around the holidays.  I just recently learned that mistletoe is extremely toxic, guess it is not so sweet after-all!  Eat this plant and you will definitely end up with stomach pains, possibly seizures, and you may even die.  Keep this out of the house if you even think there is a possibility that your kids or pets may get a hold of it!
  

  Boxwood:  This plant is used in many wreathes and may cause problems ranging from stomach irritation to seizures so be careful with this one if you have children and pets!

  Safe-

  Poinsettia:  We have always decorated our house with poinsettias and have always tried to keep them up high and away from children and pets.  I was watching, NBC’s Today Show, the other day and one of their guest gardeners said that poinsettias are not poisonous despite what many people think!  I was blown away; I had always been told that they were dangerous!  The gardener actually ate a piece of poinsettia to prove his point and he was a-ok (phew)!  I still didn’t believe him (I am very skeptical at times) and did my own research, the man was right, this is a safe plant to have in the house so decorate away! 

  Have a safe and happy holiday! 

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