Growing Up with Plants

Parenting Tips

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.

View more Infant Parenting Tips.