Poisonous plants of south Florida (Largo, Homestead: leases, house, gated)

[tallrick]

One of the benefits of living in Florida is the tremendous variety of plants where development is not rampant. However, some of those plants, native and introduced are deadly poison. When I lived in Key Largo I had a small collection of the most toxic plants I could find, like poisonwood and manchineel. I had to let my friend whose family leases my old home to know where they are and avoid them. Strangely they are protected by law so they get to stay. Yet some popular plants like oleander, poinsettia, rubbervine and the tung oil tree are considered landscape material. The most unique of the toxic trees I have at my old home is the sandbox tree. It has thorns all over the trunk and the seed pods explode with such force that is is called the dynamite tree.

The reason I started thinking of this is that while improving a pasture I discovered white snakeroot growing in a ditch. I thought it was a plant of the midwest but was not aware it was in the Lake Okeechobee area. This is interesting because it is the plant that causes milk sickness, which killed Abraham Lincoln's mother. My theory is that it arrived there in contaminated hay. We have been battling tropical soda apple for years, but introduced insects seem to have controlled a lot of it. Strangely I saw tropical soda apple growing along I-75 and Sheridan street so it may be spreading too. Anyone else collect or has had experience with Florida's toxic plants?

[doggiebus]

I have a few fishtail palms which the seeds are poisonous I'm told, especially to dogs if they eat them. A year ago I spent $700 at the vets office because of Palm seeds my dog ate. The next day that Palm was cut down. One of my favorite plants the night blooming jasmine is also toxic to dogs. I've places these plants in the front yard where the dogs can not get to them.

[popcorn247]

Originally Posted by tallrick

One of the benefits of living in Florida is the tremendous variety of plants where development is not rampant. However, some of those plants, native and introduced are deadly poison. When I lived in Key Largo I had a small collection of the most toxic plants I could find, like poisonwood and manchineel. I had to let my friend whose family leases my old home to know where they are and avoid them. Strangely they are protected by law so they get to stay. Yet some popular plants like oleander, poinsettia, rubbervine and the tung oil tree are considered landscape material. The most unique of the toxic trees I have at my old home is the sandbox tree. It has thorns all over the trunk and the seed pods explode with such force that is is called the dynamite tree.

The reason I started thinking of this is that while improving a pasture I discovered white snakeroot growing in a ditch. I thought it was a plant of the midwest but was not aware it was in the Lake Okeechobee area. This is interesting because it is the plant that causes milk sickness, which killed Abraham Lincoln's mother. My theory is that it arrived there in contaminated hay. We have been battling tropical soda apple for years, but introduced insects seem to have controlled a lot of it. Strangely I saw tropical soda apple growing along I-75 and Sheridan street so it may be spreading too. Anyone else collect or has had experience with Florida's toxic plants?

Your sandbox tree is Hura crepitans. It can be a huge tree. As the woody pods dry, they do explode and disperse the many coin-like seeds. Was this tree on your property when you purchased your house? If so, I wonder who owned the house and planted this tree. It is rarely in cultivation.

[StarfishKey]

Let's not forget the Brazilian pepper, which is also invasive and as such grows nearly everywhere! It has a reaction similar to poison ivy or oak, and can be deadly for those allergic. One should never burn yard debris that has not been clearly identified due to poisonous plants such as this, which can get into the lungs of anyone the smoke reaches.

[popcorn247]

I am really allergic to poison ivy and poisonwood, but have never suffered from contact with Schinus.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

Your sandbox tree is Hura crepitans. It can be a huge tree. As the woody pods dry, they do explode and disperse the many coin-like seeds. Was this tree on your property when you purchased your house? If so, I wonder who owned the house and planted this tree. It is rarely in cultivation.

I built my home in 1988-90. The tree was propagated from one I found in Homestead. At first I thought it was a Kapok tree but found out it was this instead. It was huge on the mainland but mine is only 30 feet tall.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by StarfishKey

Let's not forget the Brazilian pepper, which is also invasive and as such grows nearly everywhere! It has a reaction similar to poison ivy or oak, and can be deadly for those allergic. One should never burn yard debris that has not been clearly identified due to poisonous plants such as this, which can get into the lungs of anyone the smoke reaches.

When I built my home in Key Largo and when I built in Hendry county I had to remove large numbers of brazillian pepper. The funny thing is that when I was younger my dad would use the wood for barbeques! The dried wood makes great charcoal without problems. Idiotic neighbors in Key Largo started cutting down a poisonwood tree and ended up in the hospital besides being fined by the county for cutting down the native tree. Someone I know was hospitalized for burning brush with poisonwood in it. I mulch poisonous trimmings with the bush hog attachment on my Bobcat.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

I have a few fishtail palms which the seeds are poisonous I'm told, especially to dogs if they eat them. A year ago I spent $700 at the vets office because of Palm seeds my dog ate. The next day that Palm was cut down. One of my favorite plants the night blooming jasmine is also toxic to dogs. I've places these plants in the front yard where the dogs can not get to them.

I almost forgot, carolina jessamine is toxic too. There's a nice patch of it at my home and it's gorgeous. What species is yours the shrub style nightshade or a vine of the Jasminum species?

[Cubanchic]

I hate Brazilian pepper trees, they are everywhere and hard to kill.

We also has this vine that grew on our royal palms and the had that fiberglass like texture in them and the moment to tried to remove them those spikes and needle like fibers when everywhere almost immpossible to remove once you got them.

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by Cubanchic

I hate Brazilian pepper trees, they are everywhere and hard to kill.

We also has this vine that grew on our royal palms and the had that fiberglass like texture in them and the moment to tried to remove them those spikes and needle like fibers when everywhere almost immpossible to remove once you got them.

Must have been velvet bean, it's actually a medicinal plant and can act like viagra..LOL!