Amaryllis warning: Christmas plant can cause suffocation
Created: 12/22/2022, 13:05
By: Lena Zschirpe
Not everything that is beautiful is also safe.
In addition to the poinsettia, the amaryllis is also poisonous.
Consumers need to be careful.
Dortmund – Christmas tree, Christmas rose, Christmas cactus and, of course, amaryllis: some plants are still in season even in the cold season.
But most of them are not harmless.
While Christmas trees are often contaminated with pesticides, amaryllis is inherently toxic.
Amaryllis and poinsettia are poisonous: Consumers should definitely pay attention to this
Thanks to its large, red leaves, the amaryllis resembles the equally popular poinsettia.
The two plants can be distinguished at the latest by the red stalk of the amaryllis, which is also called knight's star.
The plant needs very little water and should only be watered again when the top layer of soil is completely dry.
In principle, the amaryllis should also be kept warm, reports
24garten.de
.
This makes them an ideal decoration for the Christmas season in the middle of the heating period.
As beautiful as it is to look at, the amaryllis should be set up and decorated with care.
Because the exotic plant, like the poinsettia, is poisonous, as RUHR24 reports.
Decorating for Christmas: Amaryllis is poisonous
Basically, the toxins, also called toxic alkaloids, are found in all parts of amaryllis, according to
Plantopedia
.
But they are very highly concentrated in the onion.
Particularly insidious: This part of the plant is most likely to be mistaken for an edible variety, even by children and animals.
Other Christmas decorations are also dangerous for animals.
Typical symptoms of poisoning are:
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sweats
severe nausea
drowsiness
severe dizziness
vomiting and diarrhea
tachycardia
Amaryllis is poisonous and can even kill you.
©Panthermedia/Imago
Kidney damage can also occur.
The gardening magazine
Mein Schönen Garten
reports on disorders of the brain function up to complete cerebral palsy, which can occur "almost immediately" after the picture is taken.
Likewise, the lungs can be paralyzed after eating the amaryllis - a respiratory arrest with fatal consequences threatens.
Amaryllis is not only poisonous after consumption - plant warning
But not only then is the amaryllis dangerous.
The sap is also poisonous, which is why skin contact should be avoided at all costs.
Otherwise there is a risk of skin irritation, swelling or inflammation.
If you work with the amaryllis, for example repotting it, it is better to wear gloves.
Caution is also required when disposing of it: the plant should be disposed of in such a way that it is not accessible to children, dogs or cats.
If you want to avoid that curious people get poisoned, you can throw the plant in the garbage in a separate bag.
The compost, on the other hand, is unsuitable, because wild birds or other animals also run the risk of poisoning themselves.
