Last week I wrote about some of the pest issues to consider when purchasing plants for your garden (you can read the article here). This week I'd like to highlight some other concerns to keep in mind.
For the list of plants covered under the updated Illinois Exotic Weed Act, click here.
Is the plant safe? Brugmansia, also known as Angel's Trumpet, is closely related to Datura (sometime known as Devil's Trumpet). The plants are prized for their large, trumpet-shaped flowers and fragrant aroma. However, all species in the Datura and Brugmansia genera are poisonous. All parts of the plant may be toxic, with the flowers, leaves, and seeds containing elevated amounts of the dangerous compounds. Castorbean plants are extremely allergenic with pollen that can trigger allergies or asthma, and compounds in the leaves that can cause rashes if a sensitive person touches them. In addition, the seeds are quite toxic if crushed and ingested. Foxglove is another example of a toxic ornamental plant that is readily available. I'm not suggesting that people should not be able to enjoy these plants, but gardeners should be aware of any potential danger when choosing them. All too often I find poisonous plants for sale with no mention made of their potential danger.
For a list of common poisonous plants, click here.
The theme of this blog post and the one before it is that gardeners should know their plants, and know where they came from. By selecting healthy, appropriate plants, you can reduce the possibility of introducing a threat (disease, pest, invasive plant, or danger) to the landscape and focus on enjoying the outdoors.