Spathiphyllum is poisonous or not: a short description

When deciding to buy an exotic plant with graceful white flowers, people often wonder if spathiphyllum is dangerous - poisonous or not. "Women's happiness", as it is also called, can be a wonderful decoration for any interior, however, when keeping it at home, you must take precautions.

Brief description of spathiphyllum

Spathiphyllum is a perennial plant from the Ariodaceae family. There are more than 45 species, some of which are amenable to breeding in an apartment. Homeland are the countries of South America and East Asia. In the wild, it grows in humid tropical forests with swampy soil, mainly at the edge of water bodies.

The name is translated from Greek as “sheet-cover”. This interpretation is justified by the appearance of massive basal leaves. The inflorescence belongs to the class of cobs. The flowering period is 3 weeks on average and begins in spring.

At home, spathiphyllum behaves unpretentious and easily adapts to indoor conditions. No special care is required, except that regular watering and moisturizing of the leaves.

Is spathiphyllum poisonous

Spathiphyllum juice contains a toxic substance - calcium oxalate. This compound can cause poisoning, burns of the mucous membrane, as well as a strong allergic reaction. Ingestion can occur not only through direct ingestion of plant parts, but also through the skin.

Therefore, "female happiness" is not recommended to grow in homes where there are small children and animals.

Useful properties of a flower

In addition to the fact that spathiphyllum is a decoration of the house, gives comfort to the living space and pleases the eye, this tropical plant also has a number of other useful properties:

1. Absorbs excess carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.
2. Cleans the air from harmful impurities. The compounds are absorbed by the leaves, after which they pass to the root system and are removed into the soil, where they are gradually degraded due to the activity of microorganisms.
3. Destroys airborne fungal spores.

Plant allergy

Allergy sufferers may experience various reactions, manifested in the form of skin rashes or respiratory depression.

What causes

Spathiphyllum is an allergen only during the flowering period. Pollen, which has a strong odor, leads to an undesirable reaction of the body. The rest of the time, the plant is harmless to allergy sufferers.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of an allergic reaction to spathiphyllum are:

• photophobia;
• dry cough;
• dyspnea;
• weakness;
• sweating;
• hives.

Along the way, symptoms characteristic of bronchial asthma may also appear:

• suffocation;
• wheezing on inhalation and exhalation.

Treatment

If you experience allergy symptoms, see your doctor. Both for the treatment of an attack and in order to prevent its occurrence, specialized anti-inflammatory drugs such as Cromoglin or Allergokrom, as well as antihistamines (H1 blockers) such as Zyrtec or Claritin. The dosage is determined directly by the attending physician.

Harm to humans

This beautiful houseplant can cause a lot of problems if you do not follow simple safety rules. Poisoning can occur due to ingestion of any part (leaves, stems, flowers, rhizome). Sometimes intoxication can also occur upon contact with the skin, if there are wounds on the surface of the epidermis.

Spathiphyllum is especially dangerous for children and people with weakened immune systems. When ingested, the juice can cause the following reactions:

1. Burns of the mucous membrane of the larynx and esophagus.
2. Digestive upset.
3. Stomach pain.
4. Airway edema.

Poisoning symptoms

Calcium oxalate causes muscle depression. In this regard, the main symptoms of poisoning are:

• convulsions;
• dyspnea;
• heart rhythm disturbance;
• blood pressure surges;
• nausea;
• laryngeal edema;
• diarrhea;
• confusion of consciousness;
• weakness.

First aid

In case of poisoning, call a doctor immediately. Calcium oxalate is an extremely dangerous substance, therefore, delay in providing qualified assistance is fraught with consequences for the health and life of the victim.

While waiting for the doctor, you need to follow the guide:

1. Rinse the surface of the skin and mucous membranes with cold water, where the poisonous substance has got into.
2. If the juice has been swallowed, drink as much water as possible. It must be cold, you can even add ice to it.
3. Eating food is prohibited.
4. Do not self-wash the stomach.
5. Take a horizontal position, put your head on its side, so that in case of laryngeal edema, the tongue does not sink.

What is the danger of spathiphyllum for animals

Spathiphyllum juice is dangerous not only for people, but also for their pets. Dogs and cats often try to make up for nutrient deficiencies by eating houseplants. Some of them may benefit a four-legged pet, but this does not apply to spathiphyllum.

Swallowing this plant in animals causes swelling and inflammation of the mouth and respiratory tract. This condition is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. You cannot take risks and self-medicate, you need to take the pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Spathiphyllum juice is dangerous for the animal's eyes. When in contact with the eyes, the caustic substance causes inflammation of the cornea, which over time leads to complete blindness in the absence of proper treatment.

Precautionary measures

When caring for spathiphyllum, you must follow a few simple safety measures that prevent harmful effects:

1. Trim leaves and faded flowers with household gloves.
2. If juice gets on clothing or skin surface, rinse the area immediately.
3. In case of contact with eyes, consult an optometrist.
4. The plant in the house must be positioned so that children or animals do not have access to it.
5. Wash hands thoroughly after contact with the plant.

The magical properties of spathiphyllum

Spathiphyllum has some magical properties. It is believed that this plant helps women to more easily survive parting with a loved one, and for married couples it helps to maintain strong trusting relationships. Based on this, the unofficial name of the flower, used by the people, was chosen - "female happiness".

There is a belief that spathiphyllum is able to attract money. To do this, you need to place the pots with the plant in the room where the bills are stored, and put a coin in the pallet. Tie the pot with a green rope. If you ask spathiphyllum daily for help with your financial situation, over time, the plant will help its owner.

Signs associated with a flower

It is believed that you can not give, give or sell your spathiphyllum, this can take away happiness from a person who has got rid of his plant in this way. And to present as a gift a new, just bought flower, on the contrary, is a happy omen. You can give it to both single and married couples. After all, this plant, if you believe the legends, helps people find their love and keep it for many years.

If a person decides to buy a flower on his own, it is worth observing the following rules in order for the purchase to become successful and bring happiness:

1. The best days to buy are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
2. The seller must be a blonde with blue eyes.
3. You cannot pick up change after payment.

It is believed that "female happiness" perishes when bad energy prevails in the house from constant quarrels and strife. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the appearance of the plant, because this is a kind of indicator of healthy relationships between family members.