Are any orchids poisonous?
J Fortuna
poisonous parts?
Joanna
Al
does not list any member of the family Orchidaceae as being poisonous.
In other locations online you can learn that some are said to cause allergic
skin responses. Cypripedium reginia comes to mind.
Elsewhere and even here in our very own archives you can learn Onc.
cebollata is said to be an hallucinogen.
From my point of view all orchids cause the hullucination that you have
unlimited amounts of money and space. However, I don't think you have to
eat one to get hullucinogized. I think you just need to see one.
"J Fortuna" <joa...@REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
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J Fortuna
news:2ZOdnbua447...@adelphia.com...
> From my point of view all orchids cause the hullucination that you have
> unlimited amounts of money and space. However, I don't think you have to
> eat one to get hullucinogized. I think you just need to see one.
LOL. I think you are right about that. Thanks Al.
Joanna
jadel
J Fortuna wrote:
> I know that some orchids are edible, but are any of them poisonous? or have
> poisonous parts?
Before or after spraying? (annoying emoticon here)
Some orchids smell so foul I can't imagine anyone would want to eat
them, but I don't recall reading that any are actually poisonous.
I also rasie cycads. Every part of every cycad is toxic.. Yes, some
cultures eat leached cycad starch, but there are long term toxic
effects associated with eating it that include a form of senile
dementia, a type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cancer.
J. Del Col
Al
ota erifyva hatta heta forementionedaa "American Medical Association
Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants" ctuallyaa aysa.
I don't know what it really says about orchid plants. All of my knowledge
comes from the internet and somebody on the internet told me what it says.
For what it's worth, this handbook does sound like the most reliable source
of info on the topic. Especially first hand, "trust the baby's life to it"
info.
My spell checker has a pig-latin plug in.
"J Fortuna" <joa...@REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
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J Fortuna
"jadel" <delc...@mail.ab.edu> wrote in message
news:1139335809.4...@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Before or after spraying? (annoying emoticon here)
As I do not do any spraying of the plants in our condo, that's not
applicable for me. However I was astounded to read in the book Orchid Fever
about the young man in Paris, France, who lived in a small apartment with
his mother and his orchids, and who sprayed the orchids regularly with lots
of pesticide. Yikes.
By the way, related question: Is plant food poisonous when ingested by
humans? I assume that it is better to keep it out of the way of toddlers,
but unlike on cleaning supply bottles I did not see a poison warning on its
label when I looked earlier today. So I wonder ... Not that I will encourage
his eating it, mind you, but I am starting to wonder which household items
will absolutely have to be put out of any possible reach, and which are
optional.
So far, as far as I can tell, Robert will probably be a much greater danger
to the orchids than they will be to him. The greatest dangers to toddler
from orchids that I see thus far are: 1. lights and electric cords leading
to lights, 2. shelving units will need to be stable and secure so that they
do not topple, 3. chocking hazard posed by media, 4. if a clay pot were to
topple and fall on the toddler, some of them are quite heavy so he could get
hurt that way, and 5. if plant food is poisonous after all then that's an
issue. Am I missing something?
Joanna
KurtG
> >
> From my point of view all orchids cause the hullucination that you have
> unlimited amounts of money and space. However, I don't think you have to
> eat one to get hullucinogized. I think you just need to see one.
I think it's some sort of shooting dart. Hit me on the back side.
Rob
> By the way, related question: Is plant food poisonous when ingested by
> humans? I assume that it is better to keep it out of the way of toddlers,
> but unlike on cleaning supply bottles I did not see a poison warning on its
> label when I looked earlier today. So I wonder ... Not that I will encourage
> his eating it, mind you, but I am starting to wonder which household items
> will absolutely have to be put out of any possible reach, and which are
> optional.
>
I think it would be a very bad idea to eat fertilizer powder...
Although it would taste awful. Acutely toxic? Maybe. A complete
fertilizer has a lot of things in it (potassium/phosphorus, nickel,
etc...) many of which are toxic in small quantity (selenium is not
something you want to eat). I don't know if you could choke down enough
fertilizer to hurt yourself (or a small person), but I wouldn't try it.
The liquid formulations might be dilute enough as to cause little harm,
but again I wouldn't risk it.
> So far, as far as I can tell, Robert will probably be a much greater danger
> to the orchids than they will be to him. The greatest dangers to toddler
> from orchids that I see thus far are: 1. lights and electric cords leading
> to lights, 2. shelving units will need to be stable and secure so that they
> do not topple, 3. chocking hazard posed by media, 4. if a clay pot were to
> topple and fall on the toddler, some of them are quite heavy so he could get
> hurt that way, and 5. if plant food is poisonous after all then that's an
> issue. Am I missing something?
>
Toddlers like to remove tags from pots. I don't know why. My daughter
routinely runs up to me with a tag as a present. Sometimes I even know
where to put it back. She has never tried to eat potting media. An
occasional rock might get a taste, but I think girls are smarter than
boys. Or have better survival instincts. Evidently my brothers and I
ate all sorts of rocks and coins when we were that age.
Rob
--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit
Kenni Judd
A woman who'd bought some fertilizer from one of our members called her a
couple weeks later to ask if it was poisonous, because she had accidentally
drank (drunk? <G>) some. Having no idea, the grower told the customer to
call Poison Control -- who advised that unless she drank a whole gallon, it
shouldn't be a problem. Apparently, it happens quite often -- I'm given to
understand that some folks actually keep the fert. solution in the
refrigerator "so it won't go bad."
Not an idea that would ever have occurred to me ... But it does go to
prove the saying that things can't be made idiot-proof, because the idiots
are too ingenious! Kenni
Kenni
"Rob" <r...@littlefrogfarm.com> wrote in message
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J Fortuna
Great, thanks! Though it would never have occurred to me either to store
fert solution in refrigerator, I did have one time when I wondered about a
gallon of bottled water that I had left on the kitchen counter near the sink
whether it truly was bottled water or fertilized water -- since I use a
bottled water container for the fert solution. :-( I decided that it was
probably fert solution, and if it was not, I would just water my orchids
with bottled water which was the better alternative by far.
Joanna
"Kenni Judd" <ke...@REMOVEjborchids.com> wrote in message
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OrchidKitty
you still don't know what the previous owner has done insofaras
spraying, etc., and what contaminants might be in the media or on the
leaves. In the past, I've been rather cavalier about toxic
substances--BUT since I've garnered cats (one of whom like to use
orchid leaves as floss), I'm more cautious. I repot plants when I get
them and don't use pesticides as a free-for-all spray. I'm not sure WHY
you want to know whether orchids are poisonous, but if you're having a
party and want to use orchid flowers as platter garnishes, you might
want to rethink.
J Fortuna
news:1139362002....@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I'm not sure WHY
> you want to know whether orchids are poisonous, but if you're having a
> party and want to use orchid flowers as platter garnishes, you might
> want to rethink.
OrchidKitty, No platter garnishes. The reason why I want to know is that I
am starting to plan ahead for the stage in my child's life when he will want
to put everything in his mouth while he explores it -- so far he is 6 weeks
old and mostly harmless, but I am told by more experienced parents that the
time when he will be into everything will come much quicker than I think and
that I will be amazed by how far he can reach how fast. In general, I am
going to try to keep the orchids out of his reach, but I would rather know
the consequences of it if I don't succeed, just in case.
> Well, even if the plant isn't deadly, and your fertilizer isn't deadly,
> you still don't know what the previous owner has done insofaras
> spraying, etc., and what contaminants might be in the media or on the
> leaves.
Hmm, I had not thought of that. How long does pesticide stay in plant matter
and media? I had kind of assumed that with thorough flushing during watering
etc the sins of the previous owner's don't really count except for really
new plants, as long as I don't use pesticides myself. If I did not repot
orchids as soon as I got them in the past, would you suggest that I repot
all the ones that have not been repotted in my care yet? or only ones not
repotted yet and gotten in the past 2 months, 6 months or 1 year or ???
Joanna
Diana Kulaga
garnish, I do it all the time, usually giving them a coating of egg white, a
dip in fine sugar, and letting them dry on a rack. They give a real boost to
the presentation of a fancy dessert. No one has died, LOL, but then, adults
know better than to eat them!
Diana
OrchidKitty
media--but I know someone who does. You might want to contact Glen
Decker of Piping Rock Orchids (pipin...@aol.com) and ask him. He
grows thousands of slippers (of exceptional quality) and has small
children. He's pesticide free and knows much about the dangers of
pesticides. He's a nice man and very willing to share what he knows.
BTW, Congrats on the little one, Mom.
OrchidKitty
to a cat show in Boston, and there were a lot of vendors there, as one
might expect. One of the cat food companies had a huge bowl of kitty
kibble on display. We saw a bored-husband type walk by the the bowl,
scoop up a handful of kibble, and chomp it down. Hello dude! It's a cat
show...what you're eating isn't crackers du jour--it's cat food. Yikes.
Aaron Hicks
would be the nitrates. People don't handle nitrates too well, and infants
are most susceptible. Look up "blue baby disease" or "blue baby syndrome,"
also known as methemoglobinemia.
Actually, methemoglobinemia has a number of causes, nitrates in
the diet being one of several.
Other'n that, most of the components are fairly safe in the
concentrations at which they would most likely be present.
The address in the header isn't valid. Send no email there.
-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ
J Fortuna
methemoglobinemia after getting your response, infant below 6 month of age
are particularly in danger, since after that the body may already be capable
of dealing with nitrates. So in the first 6 month fertilized water is more
poisonous and then it is less so. As already said, I do not intend to feed
my son fertilizer and overall I think I will keep the fertilizer solution
out of his reach, however, the cleaning supplies and other much more toxic
chemicals will take precedence in the out of reach storage -- they will have
to be placed in a spot that is completely out of baby and toddle reach no
matter what happens, whereas the fertilized solution can probably be in a
spot that is just out of reach.
Joanna
"Aaron Hicks" <ahi...@nyx.nyx.net> wrote in message
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Diana Kulaga
> scoop up a handful of kibble, and chomp it down. Hello dude! It's a cat
> show...what you're eating isn't crackers du jour--it's cat food. Yikes.<
LOL!
wendy7
"Worlds funniest Videos"
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply
J Fortuna
major breaking point between very susceptible to acquired blue baby syndrome
and not as much in danger. Since up until about 4 months old "Higher gastric
pH in infants may facilitate bacterial proliferation, resulting in increased
conversion of dietary nitrates to nitrites. " (quote from
http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1432.htm)
So since babies that small will not go after fertilized solution on their
own, the main danger to baby from fertilized solution would be if anyone
were using bottled water to mix baby formula and accidentally used the
fertilized solution instead. <shudder> That's not going to happen here
(among other things because our baby is not on formula, and because after
the one incident when I was not quite sure whether a bottle of water was
actually bottled water or fert solution I have become even more careful), so
that's one thing I won't worry about.
Joanna
"J Fortuna" <joa...@REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
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?
>
> So since babies that small will not go after fertilized solution on their
> own, the main danger to baby from fertilized solution would be if anyone
> were using bottled water to mix baby formula and accidentally used the
> fertilized solution instead. <shudder> That's not going to happen here
> (among other things because our baby is not on formula, and because after
> the one incident when I was not quite sure whether a bottle of water was
> actually bottled water or fert solution I have become even more careful), so
> that's one thing I won't worry about.
And homemade colic/tummy ache remedies.
(Anyone else remember that from the movie Doc Hollywood?)
--
Chris Dukes
Suspicion breeds confidence -- Brazil
?
I must not be an adult. I would eat them.
Then again if it isn't metal, plastic, glass, or ceramic, I would attempt to
eat what's on my plate.
John
old helped us take care of the orchids since she was about 3 and is a
very careful with them. She loves to water (with a turkey baster) and
to help repot them. She LOVES going to shows too!
BUT, our 21 month old son started being difficult with the orchids as
soon as he could stand up -- about 10 months. He took out the tags
(irritating - so I labeled the pots with magic marker instead), he
unpotted several orchids (AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!! We lost 5 orchids
this way), pulled and broke off leaves and a very promising keiki,
pulled on the light cords, turned the humidifier off/on, up/down, etc.
He has put the media (spag. moss or husks) into his mouth, but usually
spit them out (or I'd catch him and make him spit them out). I finally
took all of the big pieces out. And he even chewed on the bigger
leaves of the phalenopses(?) and cattleyas. Other than aggravation, no
problems with his health.
Finally, in desperation my husband (the true orchid enthusiast) built a
wood case (about 5 feet long, 3 feet wide, 6 feet high) that he covered
with chicken wire (for circulation) to house our orchids that contained
the lights, humidifier, and 4 shelves for the orchids and the supplies,
with doors that open for watering (with 2 locks on them when he learned
to open the first lock). S-hooks, placed about 5 feet high) are great
for quite a while for locking cabinets, doors, closets, etc. (We even
put one on our bathroom door when he kept unrolling all of the toilet
paper!) At about 18 months he pulled a chair over to the case and
crawled all over it, trying to get in. We were able to park it right in
front of a window, and put 4 light fixtures in it. Unfortunately, we
had to sell all of our orchids before our move to Kansas last month,
and we sold the case too and I can't find a single picture of it.
We kept the plant food/fertilizer/etc in a sealed plastic container on
the bottom shelf of the case - those big flat ones for underbed storage
worked great.
Overall, you are right on about what you need to do. And you're doing
great job, Mom!
Cyndi
J Fortuna
Oh oh, you confirm some of my fears in your description of what your son
would do to the orchids. Let's hope that my son is more like your daughter.
:-)
Joanna
"John" <jadens...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Diana Kulaga
> Then again if it isn't metal, plastic, glass, or ceramic, I would attempt
> to
> eat what's on my plate.<
Gee, Chris, I don't think anyone who grows orchids can claim complete
adulthood, do you? <S>
Diana
?
I think it would hurt my fiance's feelings if I told her that.
(She's an incurable poucher).
Then again, I want to follow in my granddad's footsteps and see how many
acres of land I can plant in camelias and gardenias or something of a similar
spirit when I retire.
J Fortuna
usage of pesticide. According to him, it's not really necessary to worry
about it too much. So I won't.
Joanna
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Pipin...@aol.com
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 23:29:43 EST
Hi Joanna,
I really wouldn't worry about it to much. I myself, don't use pesticides
for
the simple reason that I have a 6 year old who likes to play in the
greenhouse. Once upon a time, some pesticides could stay active in the soil
for
months, but these days, you could almost drink it out of the bottle with not
much
ill effect.
So, if you purchase a new plant, you could simple wash the plant with a
little soap and water, just to remove any possible residue and if you are
very
concerned, you could repot it, and then you would have absolute nothing to
worry
about. My feeling is, like I said, just to wash the plant down you should
have
nothing to worry about. However, you do what you feel is best for your
piece
of mind.
Sincerely,
Glen Decker
"OrchidKitty" <devon...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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