I know I've told this story before, but growing up, we had a laburnum in the garden. I had no interest in the seed pods whatsoever, but because my mum went on about it so much, it made me interested in them. I was never tempted to eat them, but it could have made me try them, and shows how viewpoints can be distorted a little.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They are gorgeous and come in purpley blue or cream flowers. Some flower early in summer, others later. They are hardy perennials and do not get eaten by slugs and snails, unlike delphiniums. I've grown them for over 30 years now and have never had a problem.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
As far as I understand, you would have to eat foxgloves for it to prove fatal whereas aconitums could be fatal if you get the roots onto bare skin and have say a cut or graze where the poison can enter into the bloodstream. I could be entirely wrong of course. I used to grow aconitums - as people say, they are lovely plants which slugs don't touch which is jolly useful but dug them out a year or so back as I became worried that whoever buys this house when I am gone, might not know they are classified as highly toxic. Probably an over reaction I know.
You are sort of right @Lizzie27. Aconitum poisoning can occur through the skin, but the majority of deaths have occurred when it was used to deliberately poison people, via food. Sorry @Fishy65, I was being a bit flippant, but only to emphasise that Aconitum are not really a problem, with a minimal dose of caution. I have dug them up having forgotton to put on gloves, then washed my hands a fair while later when I remembered, and I appear to still be here.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I've never washed my hands after handling aconitums. Sometimes wash them if I get euphorbia sap on them , but not always: usually just rub it off onto my overalls.
My daughter could die if she ate one cashew nut: but that doesn't mean everyone else will have the same reaction , thankfully.
As I've said before " caution is good: paranoia isn't"
I think that's a good comparison @Hostafan1. I'm not sure why 'we've' arrived at this point with plants - especially when you think about where virtually all medicines come from My daughter has quite severe reactions to red meat, but she grew up surrounded by foxgloves and euphorbias, running around in shorts and swimsuits. The contents of the cupboard under the sink are more dangerous
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I used to grow aconitums - as people say, they are lovely plants which slugs don't touch which is jolly useful but dug them out a year or so back as I became worried that whoever buys this house when I am gone, might not know they are classified as highly toxic. Probably an over reaction I know.
Sorry @Fishy65, I was being a bit flippant, but only to emphasise that Aconitum are not really a problem, with a minimal dose of caution. I have dug them up having forgotton to put on gloves, then washed my hands a fair while later when I remembered, and I appear to still be here.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
My daughter could die if she ate one cashew nut: but that doesn't mean everyone else will have the same reaction , thankfully.
As I've said before " caution is good: paranoia isn't"
My daughter has quite severe reactions to red meat, but she grew up surrounded by foxgloves and euphorbias, running around in shorts and swimsuits. The contents of the cupboard under the sink are more dangerous
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...