By Diane Plewa
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.
Teasel available for trade through a popular gardening forum
Is the plant invasive? Invasive plants are regulated on a state-by-state level, and because plants can so easily be purchased from across the country (and globe!) buyers may often not be aware that a specific plant is prohibited in their state. For example, a few days ago I was perusing Ebay and found seeds of Tatarian bush honeysuckle for sale (one of several exotic bush honeysuckles recently added to the Illinois Exotic Weed Act which prohibits the sale, purchase, or movement of specific invasive plants). I once received seeds of Japanese honeysuckle (one of the original three plants regulated by the Illinois Exotic Weed Act) as a "free gift" with a seed order. Oriental bittersweet and teasels (both also recently added to the IL Exotic Weed Act) are still readily available for decorative use in dried flower arrangements. Often these plants are sold without informing the prospective buyers that they are considered invasive and may not be legal in their area.
Brugmansia for sale through Etsy. Despite extensive information regarding color, flower type, growth habit, and cultivation, no mention was made of the toxicity of this plant.
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.
Two databases of poisonous plants are available from the University of Illinois (here) and Cornell University (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.