Poinsettias  are not a deadly holiday plant as once believed. Their leaves may cause a mild stomach ache, and their sap may cause a rash on sensitive skin.

There are however, some real holiday plants to worry about. This is a little introduction to the plants you need to keep kids, pets and crazy Uncle John away from…

Holly berries (Ilex spp.):

Holly berries are a beautiful and common holiday decor plant. Ingesting one or two berries may not have any ill effect. Ingesting more than two berries, especially if a child can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea. Contact poison control if this occurs.

Eating more than two Holly berries can cause stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea.

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp):

The green parts and flower of the Amaryllis are considered non-toxic. The bulb of the Amaryllis can cause a stomach ache if ingested.

Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum): Swallowing this ornamental plant can result in vomiting, redness of the skin, drowsiness or restlessness, and hallucinations. This plant has bright orange and dark red berries. In rare cases seizures may occur. Contact poison control if any part of the plant is thought to have been ingested.

The Jerusalem Cherry (also known as Winter Cherry) is a highly toxic plant. Contact poison control immediately if any of the plant has been ingested.

Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp.): All parts of the plant contain toxic substances and if eaten can cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. One to two berries or leaves eaten by a child will NOT result in serious harm, but just as a precaution consult poison control for instructions. When hanging mistletoe in your home, place it in a piece of netting, this will help avoid young children or pets from eating the leaves and berries that drop off.

All parts of the Mistletoe plant are considered toxic if ingested.

Rosary Pea or the Jequirity Bean (Abrus precatorius): The jequirity bean, commonly used in Mexico, is often used in jewelry making because of its dark red color and black tipped end. In India and Africa the plant has been used as both a human and an animal poison. There is no harm if the beans are swallowed whole, but can be life-threatening if they are chewed prior to swallowing. Vomiting and stomach-ache occurs within a few hours after swallowing. This is followed by bloody diarrhea. Dial 911 immediately if ingested.

The Rosary Pea can be deadly. It is also known by/as Jequirity, Crab's Eye, 'John Crow' Bead, Precatory bean, Indian Licorice, Saga Tree, Giddee Giddee or Jumbie Bead.

It is always a good idea to keep all plants out of harms way. Even small amounts of toxic plants ingested in babies can result in illness. It is always best to be cautious and consider the plant to have been eaten if suspected. Never induce vomiting unless instructed by poison control. The toxins can due damage to the lungs and esophagus.

Local Poison Control numbers:

Helen DeVos Childrens Hospitol Poison Center: (800) 222-1222

Grand Rapids Blodgett Regional Poison Center: (800) 632-2727

Note the different shapes of Poison ivy leaves. Some are round while others are more jagged.

In a recent commercial for a super-fancy cell phone, a new “how-to” application was introduced for identifying Poison ivy.  Well, turns out that the plant shown in the commercial wasn’t Poison ivy, just a cardboard cut-out laying on a bed of innocent plants. It was a quick shot, and I hope that people don’t use that as their guide.

Although this cardboard plant does have three leaves, it is sitting on a bed of harmless plants.

Poison ivy can be sneaky. It can grow in many forms, in all different landscapes, from the deep woods to the sandy dunes. It can often be found as a bushy shrub (Toxicodendron rydbergii), or a single large vine climbing a tree (Toxicodendron radicans). The two species often interbreed, and grow in the same location, so they are an equal danger. Even the plant in its smallest form can cause a reaction, as it is thought to have more concentrations of the toxic oil urushoil in its leaves for protection.

This particular plant is climbing, in bush form, and trailing along the ground.

The old saying “leaves of three, leave it be” actually does apply in some sense, but not all plants with three leaves are bad. Poison ivy has a compound leaf made up of three leaflets. The two side leaflets are the same size, with the top leaflet being slightly up the leafstalk and a bit smaller. Similar harmless plants are Virginia Creeper (berries are poisonous if ingested), Box Elder, and Wild Blackberry.

Box elder leaflets tend to be situated further apart than Poison ivy.

Note serrated edges on the Common blackberry. Poison ivy will never have a serrated edge, just rounded notches.

Virginia creeper looks similar to Poison ivy. It also changes color in the fall, and grows along the ground and up trees similar to Poison ivy.

Poison ivy is generally red in the spring, green in the summer, and then changes into red, yellow and green in the fall.  Plants may be fully shiny or just have one leaf that is shiny, so it is best not to judge by their shine. If the leaves are hairy it is not Poison ivy. Mid-summer they have clumps of green to white poisonous berries with a waxy coating on them.

Poison ivy berries are an excellent source of food for birds. Very toxic to humans.

Leaves may be deeply notched to only slightly lobed with rounded sides. They can be as small as your thumbnail when they first appear out of the ground, to as large as a your hand. Leafstalks tend to be a reddish-hue color, but that is also not always to case.

Note the reddish-brown hue of the leafstalks. Note how leaflets in back have notched edges, and in the front they are smooth.

Another saying to keep in mind is “Hairy rope-don’t be a dope”! Poison ivy can grow in a vine form. When it does, it clings to trees with hair-like aerial roots. The vines can be as big as two-seven inches across depending on age.

Poison ivy have aerial roots that cling tightly to trees. You should avoid contact with roots with bare hands.

Urushoil can stay on your clothes, shoes, and tools for over a year. It is therefore extremely important to thoroughly clean them after you have come in contact. Urushoil can also be transferred to humans via pet fur. If you think you have come in contact with Poison ivy, rinse your hands immediately with cold water. It is best to rinse within the first hour of contact because the oil has not had a chance to soak in. Avoid using both soap and hot water. Soap will bond with the oil, and then bond to your skin. Hot water will open up your pores and also let the oil in. Rubbing alcohol is a good way to help remove the oil from both your skin and tools. Wash clothing several times in cold water. Use bleach if you can.

The culprit: Urushoil. Make sure to wash clothing, tools and pets after contact. Urushoil can stay on contacted items for years.

Never mow or burn Poison ivy. Urushoil is found within the plants leaves and stems at its highest concentrations. Breaking a leaf will cause it to release the oil into the air. It can be inhaled, and bond to your skin from the air. This can cause serious illness and land you in the hospital.

Poison ivy is best removed in the fall. Make sure the person working with the plant is not allergic and takes all the necessary precautions. Laying a dark cloth over the plant for several weeks is a good option. Cutting the plant at the base works too, but can take several years to be effective. Can you get a goat? They love to eat Poison ivy! Ok, so if getting a goat isn’t the best option you can also try a non-selective herbicide such as Round-up. Round-up and Ortho make products geared towards Poison ivy and other hard to control brush.

Round-up and Ortho both make products for Poison ivy control.

If you have a rash, now it is fine to rinse with warm or hot water. This can alleviate some of the itching. Jewelweed, a native Michigan plant can be ground up and applied directly to the rash. Jewelweed will help the itching, and it has a cooling affect as well. I have found that the laundry soap Fels-Naptha works wonders on Poison ivy on the hands. I replace it with my normal soap for hand-washing when infected. It should not be used for long periods of time as it contains Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits).

Jewelweed grows in Michigan wetlands. It can be used as a relief from Poison ivy.

Lets start with the Family Solanaceae.  This family has wonderful offerings such as the tomato and potato, foods that have been staples to many cultures for thousands of years. The flip side of this family is that it is also known as the Nightshade Family, which contains a large variety of plants that contain alkaloids. Alkaloids are chemical compounds that are or can be toxic. Common alkaloids are nicotine, strychine, morphine, and caffeine.

Daturas also known as "Angels Trumpets" are in the Nightshade family

Nightshades are known toxic plants. They contain the alkaloid Solanine.  Solanine is present in the roots and leaves of plants. It is their natural defense against pests, as the chemical is highly toxic. (Note: some insects have built up a natural resistance to these toxins-that’s why they keep chomping away!). It just so happens that tomatoes and potatoes are in the same genus as Nightshades, and contain the same compounds, just in different quantities.

Nighshade can commonly be found as a weed in the backyard garden. All parts of this plant, esp its red berries are highly toxic.

Never eat the leaves of the tomato plant, as they have large amounts of Solanine.  Ripened tomatoes have only trace amounts of this compound, which will not affect us at all, but for those who are allergic to tomatoes, only trace amounts will do.  Affects of Solanine include upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Green tomatoes contain Solanine and should be eaten fried, and in moderation.

You have probably heard the saying “Don’t eat that green potato chip”. Well, there actually is a little truth to that. But you can go ahead and eat that chip, just don’t eat a whole bag of them. They have most likely been deep fried, and the harmful chemicals destroyed. The actual green color itself is simply Chlorophyll and is harmless.  It was being produced by the tuber as a reaction to the exposure of sunlight, and is the beginning process of growing up into a plant that uses sun for energy. Along with chlorophyll, however, the potato has started producing Solanine because of its exposure to sunlight and therefore insects and animals. Bitter tasting potatoes should also be avoided.

Green Potatoes are an indication of Solanine in the potato and should not be eaten.

Other greens that you may want to avoid out of your garden include uncooked carrot greens. Although not harmful, they too contain a large amounts of alkaloids, and are extremely bitter. Taste is important too!

Rhubarb leaves are another very important toxic source as they are  commonly grown in the  garden.  Although stalks are completely edible, the leaves contain Oxalic acid, and another compound known as Anthraquinane Glycosides-whew! Together they can cause nausea, difficulty breathing, eye pain and weakness.

Although the stems of Rhubarb are edible, the leaves can be very toxic especially in children.

Always make sure to take the time to talk to your kids about what is edible in your garden, and that not all parts of the plant are good to eat.  The goal is not to scare them, just to protect their bellies. It is important to respect plants, not only what they have done for us, but what they can do to us.