Flowers are beautiful to look at and smell lovely. However, some flowers and plants need extra care around children and pets because they can cause illness or even death if ingested. While it is rare, poisoning is not an impossibility and it is better to know which flowers are toxic, especially for the more vulnerable members of your household who may be given to eating plants and flowers. Whether they are playing in the yard or gathering around the dining room table, toxic plants and flowers can be problematic and require immediate attention for a doctor when eaten. Flowers and plants generally become toxic as a result of the soil in which they grow and there is little that can be done about this other than safeguarding loves ones.

A partial list of plants and flowers commonly used in floral arrangements include:

Azaleas
Calla Lily
Christmas Rose
Clematis
Daffodil
Delphinium
Easter Lily
Gardenia
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Mistletoe
Narcissus
Peonies
Poinsettia
Star of Bethlehem
Sweet Pea
Tulips
Winterberry holly (most holly is poisonous)
Wisteria

This list is not exhaustive by any means. It is a representative list. If you notice your child or pet has ingested any flower or plant, assume there could be trouble and call your physician, vet or poison control for more information and direction on what you should do for treatment. Some common signs of poisoning are:

nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
disorientation
fever

It is completely safe to be near these flowers and plants. Problems only arise when they are ingested. And, unless you have a small child who gets into everything or a dog who likes to conduct taste tests on household items, it is rarely an issue. For those who do have small children who are crawling or walking or adventurous pets, you should check with your florist for more information on what flowers to reconsider. They will also have pictures on what these flowers look like and will have substitution suggestions if you decide you don’t want to risk it. Never feel you can’t have flowers because you have children or pets. There are many plants and flowers that are as safe as they are beautiful. And, if you receive a toxic plant as a gift, just remember to keep it out of reach of any to whom it could do harm. That way, you’ll get to enjoy it and there is no risk to anyone.

What to do next? Buy your flowers from our Toronto Flower Shop.