When selecting plants for a landscape, people (myself included) tend to focus on how things will look…colors, size, shade/drought tolerance etc. But there is something else that we should always be cautious and mindful of: toxicity.
There are a number of very common plants that are highly toxic, plants that you probably see every day in landscapes. Oleanders, Sago Palms, Bougainvillea, Elephant Ear are just a few amongst many others that are actually quite poisonous…and we see them everywhere!
I am not saying you need to avoid these plants altogether, nor am I saying you need to immediately pull them up and dispose of them if you happen to have some of these. These are beautiful plants that have a good place in many landscapes. What I am saying is that it’s always good to know what you have, or know what you’re getting, so that you can take whatever precautions are needed based on your circumstances.
And never assume that a plant must be safe just just because it came from a garden center or big box store...a quick google search will tell you everything you need to know!
