Hawaii does not have any poisonous snakes or insects, but there are few poisonous plants found in Hawaii. As a precaution, never eat or taste any fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves or roots of a plant you cannot recognize. Also be cautious of making contact with plants that have hairy leaves, milky juice or sap or thorny leaves, fruit or seeds because they might be dangerous to your health. If you or someone you know might have eaten something poisonous, call a doctor right away and bring a sample of the plant to be identified for an antidote. To avoid any emergencies, familiarize yourself with at least these poisonous Hawaiian plants. Does this Spark an idea?
Oleander
Oleander is a commonly found ornamental shrub that has long, narrow, dull and evergreen leaves about 4 to 8 inches long. Oleander has large scented flowers and tiny seeds with wings. The color of the flowers can range from white to crimson. All parts of oleander are poisonous and the symptoms include nausea, vomiting, colic, dizziness, drowsiness, irregular heart rate, bloody diarrhea, unconsciousness, respiratory paralysis and death.
Pencil Plant
Pencil plant is a large shrub commonly used as a small potted plant. Pencil plant has either no leaves or only a few small and narrow leaves but it has series of green and pencil-like stems. Flowers can be found at the stems of small branches. Pencil plant has a white milky sap that is highly acidic, causing a severe burn. The sap is especially hazardous when in contact with the eyes, causing a burning sensation.
Star of Bethlehem
Star of Bethlehem is a herb found at low altitudes. It is 1 to 2 feet high and it has only a few or no branches. The leaves are narrow, about 2 to 6 inches long and with several toothed lobes. Flowers are white and star-shaped and the fruits look like half-inch-long capsules hanging from the branches. The juice from Star of Bethlehem is highly toxic and it causes burning and irritation in contact. The juice can also cause blindness when in contact with eyes.
Physic Nut
Physic nut resembles a little bit of kukui nut, a harmless plant. It has dark green leaves that are about 3 to 7 inches long. Physic nut is usually a smooth shrub or a small tree with spongy wood that has milky juicy inside. The physic nut has numerous small and greenish flowers that develop into small yellow nuts containing two or three black seeds. These seeds are only moderately poisonous but because of their pleasant taste, a person often eats a dangerous amount of them. Symptoms of poisoning are violent bowel movement and vomiting.
Jimson Weed
Jimson weed has large green leaves that are irregularly shaped and toothed. The bottom of the leaves is light green when the top is dark green. The color of the flowers can be from white to violet and look similar to trumpets. The size of the flowers varies from 2 to 4 inches long. All parts of jimson weed are poisonous and highly toxic. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vertigo, extreme thirst, dry burning sensation of the skin, dilated pupils, loss of sight and voluntary motion and sometimes death.
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