Though we love the outdoors, relish in nature, and long to cultivate, harvest, and enjoy our gardens, there are sometimes some plants that need to be approached with caution.
Whether it is a plant that can give you a nasty rash, and dodgy tummy or can take over your yard in the blink of an eye, knowing a little about these pesky plants, how to ID them, and what to do if you encounter one could help you avoid some trouble.
While these plants deserve to thrive in their own right, check out these OGP articles that might advise you on how to live safely and harmoniously with them.
1. Irritating Plants
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all contain a resin called urushiol, and when it gets on human skin, we break out in an incredibly itchy, enduring rash. But, other plants can be problematic, too. And, some of them are highly regarded as useful, nutritious, and/or beautiful. For example, plants like pistachios and mango also contain urushiol but don’t cause rashes for most. Cashew nuts have urushiol (and caustic acid) encasing them and do cause reactions. But, not all troublesome plants have urushiol. There are lots of others, many that are common in the USA, that can cause skin irritations, regret, and the aforementioned latent hatred. Here are 7 Plants (Besides Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac) That Cause Skin Irritations.
2. Ivy, Oak and Sumac
Poison oak, poison ivy, or poison sumac can quickly dampen a flying spirit and cause a month of the summer to be mixed up with skin irritations and lotions. Getting a rash from any of these plants, which have a common offending component called urushiol, leads to itching so intensely that it feels painful. Urushiol can even reach our skin via airborne specks. The best way to avoid getting the itch is to give the plants a wide berth, and the only way for us to do that is by knowing what they look like. Learn all about Identifying Poison Ivy and Poison Oak (and Natural Remedies for When It’s Too Late).
3. Stings and Rashes
There are a few plants out there that can get a little prickly. Sure, there are thorny things like roses and berry brambles, but those are just momentary pricks. Some plants, well, are apt to cause serious damage, damage that lasts for days, months, or maybe even years. Those are the types of plants, just the same as delicious plants like broccoli or apple trees, that we need to be aware of. Here are 5 Plants That Sting or Cause Rashes and How to Deal With Them Naturally.
4. Petrifying Plants
we have plants that have seriously gotten away from us. Kudzu is notorious in the Southeast because it festoons trees along the highway and, thus, has seemingly taken over the entire ecosystem. In reality, it is a plant that was once subsidized by the government to control erosion and, ironically, repair mistreated agricultural lands. Interestingly, kudzu is also edible and nutritious. Then, there are daffodils. Daffodils have naturalized and grown wild in the Eastern US, multiplying year after year to create ephemeral wonderlands each spring. Technically, they don’t belong here. But, most people don’t consider them invasive. Daffodils, unlike dandelions and kudzu, are toxic to pets and people. Here are 7 Ornamental Plants to Fear (and Perhaps Not Grow).
5. Invasives
Some of the most seemingly irreparable invasive species are very useful plants. Many are edible. Others are nitrogen-fixing plants that provide fertility for the surrounding plants. Even more are pioneering plants that appear in damaged landscapes to repair them and start the forest anew. In truth, those damaged landscapes are where the complexity of so-called invasive species gets very hard to swallow. Invasive plants haven’t and aren’t doing anything wrong. Humans are. Read on to learn more about The Sad Truth About Invasive Plants and Why They Are Taking Over.
6. Growth Inhibitors
Some plants, and these plants aren’t all bad, have a characteristic about them that prevents other plants from growing. They exude certain chemicals that prevent seeds from germinating or decimate seedlings and saplings. The adjective used to describe these plants is allelopathic. Whether we view these botanical qualities as good or bad, as growers of plants, we must be aware of which plants are allelopathic. Then, we have the opportunity to either avoid them or use them strategically. A little knowledge gives us some power to act sensibly in the garden. Here is a list of 25 Plants and Trees That Prevent Other Plants from Growing.
7. Wily Weeds
Weeds, if we are going to call them that, can undoubtedly be a challenge. While they tend to be quite useful and many of them are edible, the fact is that some plants just pop up where they aren’t wanted. Maybe they are occupying the cracks in the driveway, ripping up the pavement. Maybe they are out-competing the lettuce crop this year or crowding out a young tree. In some cases, certain plants — weeds — have just got to go. For those looking to get organic in the vegetable patch or even the flower garden, hoping to combat sidewalk weed issues without resorting to something toxic, the options are out there. Not only are they available, but they are wicked effective. Here are a bunch of Tips for Getting Rid of Weeds Without Petro-Chemical Killers.
8. Fearsome Fungi
When we go out in search of wild mushrooms, we are typically not nosing around for poisonous ones, but the odds are that some will cross our paths. Some highly toxic mushrooms are also highly present, which is why it is important to be able to recognize both edible and dangerous mushrooms. In particular, we must be aware of many of the troublesome lookalikes for popular wild edibles, such as chanterelle, field mushrooms, and puffballs. Knowing what not to eat is as important as knowing what to eat, and if something can’t be identified 100 percent, it shouldn’t be eaten, period. A cool thing to know, however, is that no mushroom can poison a person without being ingested. Before you head out foraging, take a moment to learn about these 6 Deadly Mushrooms to Be Aware of While Foraging.
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