Growing Up with Plants

Plants add beauty to our homes. Plants and flowers are lovely in parks and gardens. But many plants can be dangerous. Poison ivy can cause a rash. Roses and some types of cactus have thorns. Some plants contain poison in the leaves, seeds or flowers. There are too many poisonous plants to name here. A few common ones are chinaberry, English ivy, lantana and oleander. Curious, crawling babies often want to play with plants.

Here are some plant safety tips:

• Know the name of every plant in and around your home. Find out which ones are poisonous.
• If you have houseplants, put them out of reach. Store seeds and bulbs where your child cannot get them.
• Remember that holiday plants can be poisonous. These include mistletoe, holly and poinsettia.
• Encourage your baby to smell flowers and leaves. But don't let her put them in her mouth.
• Don't eat wild plants, especially mushrooms.
• Don't make whistles, toys, garlands or wreaths from unknown plants.
• Learn to identify poison oak and poison ivy. Don't touch the leaves, stems, or roots.

These tips were reproduced from the U.S. Department of Education.

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