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Hydrangeas

SarahKateSarahKate Posts: 37
in Plants
I heard today that hydrangeas are poisonous and did not know that before.   Burning the foliage and inhaling the smoke is not good.    Also learnt that other shrubby plants found in the garden can produce toxins.     Any bad experiences anyone or warnings of lesser known poisonous plants?

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    My dad loved hydrangeas, there’s 60 here, he was always doing something with them cutting down, chipping, burning,  cuttings, bouquets, he lived to 92 and his heart gave out he wasn’t poisoned. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Sounds a bit like tobacco, doesn't it? I have made it a general rule of gardening not to smoke or eat plants unless they are known to be good for that purpose. There ARE some plants that irritate the skin if you are sensitive but otherwise an intelligent adult ought to be pretty safe, I'd have thought.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Why would you be burning hydrangea foliage anyway?
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I can’t think of any smoke that’s good for your lungs ...

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I wish I had followed that logic 45 years ago Dove.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • nultyphilip224nultyphilip224 Posts: 923
    Many plants are Toxic and so i always wear thin garden gloves,..this saves me from heading back into the house after working on my Foxgloves,..Foxgloves while beautiful flowers,.. its sap is harmful to children and animals,..Arum Lily,..Iris,..Amaryllis 'belladona',..are just as harmful,..alas there are many more.

    Philip
    glengarry23 - YouTube
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I don't know of many gardeners who burn stuff these days, the majority of garden waste seems to be either composted or put into green waste bins. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    No burning here especially the foliage, all goes in the compost, but years ago, when dad was alive, you know what boys are like with a bonfire, it was the done thing and he didn’t have a chipper.
    Ive  potted on my Aconitum, still here. Planted out my foxgloves, still here.  I didn’t eat them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    edited February 2019
    The only plant for which I'd routinely wear gloves is when cutting back euphorbia. I've had the sap on my skin and had no reaction, but better safe than sorry. 
    If we rid our gardens of every plant with potential " dangers " there'd be precious little left. 
    Rhubarb leaves are highly poisonous too, and how many gardens are surrounded by equally poisonous privet?
    Devon.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I only wear gloves for my rugosa roses. Seem to be alright.
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