Graham Porter’s gardening: poisonous garden plants

Mar 6 2010 by Graham Porter

In Category A the listed rhus species are not commonly grown in this country so there is no need to worry.

In Category B the list includes such garden delights as lily of the valley (Convallaria), foxglove (Digitalis), spurges (Euphorbia spp), golden chain (Laburnum), shrubby verbena (Lantana spp) and primula obconica.

In Category C the long list has some very common plants such as horse chestnut (Aesculus), alstromeria, flamingo flower (Anthurium), aspagarus fern (Asparagus spp), chilli peppers (Capsicum annum), chrysanthemum, Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis Leylandii), delphinium, spindle tree (Euonymus), Californian beauty (Fremontodendron), prickly heath (Gaultheria spp), Christmas rose (Helleborus spp), amaryllis, hyacinths, Morning glory (Ipomoea), lobelia (not the summer bedding types), lupins, daffodils and many more.

Other sources of information that you can buy include: Poisonous Plants and Fungi in Britain and Ireland, a CD-ROM produced by Kew Books at £15.99. Visit www.kewbooks.com.

A new book, being launched in late April, with a rather unfortunate title of Is That Cat Dead and other questions about poison plants, has been written by John Robertson, the warden of The Poison Garden at Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland.

It is published by The Book Guild (www.bookguild.co.uk) at £9.99 and is sure to make an interesting read.

Visit www.thepoisongarden.co.uk for more information about The Poison Garden at Alnwick Gardens.

If you have ever experienced a reaction from handling a plant, why not let me know or if you have spotted any of the three categories on a plant label, write to me at Graham’s Poisonous Beauties, Features Office, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Queen Street South, Huddersfield, HD1 3DU.