When visiting friends or family who have both houseplants and young children, IB次元官网网址檝e been compared to B次元官网网址淎unt BonnieB次元官网网址� from the Geico commercial B次元官网网址淎unt Infestation.B次元官网网址�

In it, a young couple who just moved into a new home complains of having pests B次元官网网址� not ants but overbearing B次元官网网址渁unts.B次元官网网址� Like the one who declares the condiments in their refrigerator to be B次元官网网址淓xpired! Expired! Expired!,B次元官网网址� I invariably invade room after room of my hostsB次元官网网址� homes exclaiming, B次元官网网址淭oxic! Toxic! Toxic!B次元官网网址�

IB次元官网网址檓 pointing out houseplants that should be kept out of kidsB次元官网网址� mouths. And I donB次元官网网址檛 mind dashing friendsB次元官网网址� hopes of an Instagram-worthy indoor jungle if it means potentially preventing harm.

B次元官网网址淲e get an average of 33,000 calls a year from people whose kids put different plants in their mouths,B次元官网网址� said Kaitlyn Brown, clinical managing director of AmericaB次元官网网址檚 Poison Centers in Arlington, Virginia. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 primarily toddlers crawling around who get in trouble with household plants because they explore their environment and they put everything in their mouths.B次元官网网址�

Most accidental exposures arenB次元官网网址檛 serious, she said, B次元官网网址渂ut in some cases the irritant effect becomes severe enough to affect breathing, and also some plants can cause burns to the skin or eyes.B次元官网网址�

Recently, I spotted a beautiful, mature Diffenbachia in the kitchen of a cousinB次元官网网址檚 home. She said her son, who had just begun crawling, had shown interest in its foliage.

So it fell to me to tell her the plant earned its common name, dumb cane, from the archaic term for mute. Chewing a portion of its stem can render someone temporarily but painfully speechless, as the calcium oxalate crystals in it can cause throat and mouth swelling. Exposure to its sap can lead to nose, eye and skin irritation.

Caladium, flamingo flower (Anthurium), Swiss cheese plant (Monstera), peace lily (Spathiphyllum), ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), philodendron and pothos (Epipremnum) also contain oxalate crystals. The latter two are vining plants, which require more vigilance because they can grow downward from what was considered a safe, out-of-reach spot.

Amaryllis and its relatives, including clivia and daffodil, contain lycorine, a toxic alkaloid that can cause varying degrees of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

If you suspect your child has nibbled a stem, leaf, flower, root or bulb, call the national poison control center (1-800-222-1222) for guidance. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always best to call so we can advise about what symptoms to watch for or help decide if they need to go to the hospital,B次元官网网址� Brown said.

Teach children not to put non-food plant parts into their mouths. Educate yourself, too, by researching whether your plants are safe to grow around kids. Learn their botanical names so you can provide them to a poison specialist or medical personnel in the event of an incident. Keep the plant tag handy or write each plantB次元官网网址檚 name under its pot for quick reference.

Not all houseplants are problematic, of course. Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are not only nontoxic, but are among the most prolific and easiest indoor plants to grow.

African violets (Saintpaulia), Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), waxplants (Hoya), parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans), radiator plants (Peperomia), prayer plants (Maranta leuconeura) and babyB次元官网网址檚 tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) are other safe options. So are culinary herbs.

Yet even though nontoxic plants probably wonB次元官网网址檛 make you seriously ill, they arenB次元官网网址檛 meant to be eaten and could cause stomach irritation and other unpleasant symptoms.

Start your research on potential risks at or on the website of your local poison control center. And err on the side of caution; youB次元官网网址檒l make Aunt Bonnie proud.

Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press

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