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The house we have just put an offer on has an ENORMOUS Pencil Tree in the front yard. Does anybody have any experience with these things? I have heard that the sap is caustic.
I looked them up yesterday after I posted my last reply. Yes, they are mildly toxic and can cause short-term skin irritation. But as near as I could tell, it seems that they are far less dangerous than the common oleander shrub. I'd say keep it, if you get the place.
Yes I do. We have them in our yard and my boyfriend is cutting them today.
They are kinda cool, but dangerous. They have a milky sap in them when a branch or a leaf if snapped and it is dangerous. It will cause a rash and its painfull...I have been telling my boyfriend to be aware of the tree....because of the milky sap....And you know what, today he trimmed one and must have gotten splashed by the sap, it is really runny. Then the sweat dripped in his eyes he said....and guess what? Its the sap in his eyes! Oh yes. He said he couldn't remember what I had said about the tree! (Are they all like this? what a shame) That is how I got on the web site and found your question today. I was looking up the tree to see how dangerous it is....My boyfriend won't go to the ER of course. Let me tell you, everyone reading this about your pencil tree. Do use caution when messing with the pencil tree. Gloves, Eye protection, take off your clothes and shower after working with it. It grows like a weed. And its Green so don't tear it out! Ha a joke around here.
I was pruning a pencil tree branch in my yard this weekend & some of the sap dripped into my eye. I had to go to ER to get my eye flushed & the pain was excrutiating for 2 days. My opthamologist advised me not to go to work, to put antibiotic ointment on the eye, because this, in her words, is like a 3rd degree burn of the outer layer of the eye. Please be careful! I still don't have full vision restored & have to miss a week of work. If only I had known & been more careful.
Jill Abbot, that is terrible ! I hope you get better.
Someone gave me one of those in a pot and I planted it. When I found out the details about it, I dug it up and threw it away.
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