Just get rid of this plant
@Professor2010 (20162)
India
March 24, 2013 5:38am CST
Friends I got this information in FACEBOOK page of a friend, I thought it is useful, hence sharing here. So if you have a plant like the one in the picture below, get rid of it.
This plant ‘Dumb-cane’ or ‘Dieffenbachiais’ very common at our houses, gardens, parks and offices as indoor & outdoor plant.it is now is now proven to be dangerous.
The leaf of this plant causes itching if its sap (milk) touches your skin. This plant is common in Rwanda. It is a deadly poison, especially for the children. It can kill a kid in less than a minute and an adult in 15 minutes. It should be uprooted from gardens and taken out of offices.
This is one plant but there are others with the same color and looks. Those are also poisonous and we should get rid of them.
Please watch out for children, more so if you leave your children at home in the hands of a nanny, we should give them a safe environment where they can play.
Do you leave your kids with the maid servant or care takere?
Do you think he/she keeps an eye on the kid.
If you know about other poisonous plants please tell for benefit of others here.
Please respond, and comment.
Thanks in advance. Professor Dr. B.Saraf. PhD.
Cheers have a lucky day ahead. March 23rd 2013.
Wishing you a nice SUNDAY.
5 people like this
20 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
24 Mar 13
Please note that the message, like many that circulate on Facebook and elsewhere is HIGHLY misleading and unnecessary scaremongering.
There are many plants used as house-plants which are poisonous of slightly so. Dieffenbachia is one of these but the message is quite wrong in saying that it can "kill a child in less than a minute and an adult in 15 minutes".
Please read this: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/killer-house-plant-warning.shtml
The plant has the common name 'dumb cane' because the cells contain calcium oxalate and chewing the leaves causes numbness in the mouth and lips. The effects are NOT permanent and, though unpleasant, are NOT dangerous.
If you have children or cats around the house, it is a plant one should avoid, perhaps, but it is certainly not life-threatening.
There is a list of the more common house plants which are poisonous here: http://www.tropical-plants-flowers-and-decor.com/poisonous-house-plants.html (with illustrations and descriptions). None except Datura (which I have never seen sold as a house plant) are life-threatening.
5 people like this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
24 Mar 13
Thanks for pointing out this, i have said that i saw this in facebook.
Dhatura is so common here, you can see this plant with the fruit near most temples of Lord Shiva, it is offered to Him.
Some ice cream sellers mix it's powder with ice cream in small amounts.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Mar 13
Very true, many plants are bad for us. But all info. Like this sure helps.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
25 Mar 13
The plant looks familiar. I do think we have those in our house when I was a kid. I am not sure if mom still have them. But thanks for the info. I'd call my mom now and tell her about it.
2 people like this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
25 Mar 13
Good idea, we should be careful
you will find more information here---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieffenbachia
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223777)
• Chile
25 Mar 13
Thank you very much for your information, Bhuwan. I know that one of my friends gane a Diffenbachia to another person. I`ll tell her. Fortunatly I never bought one. Anyway, just in case, I`ll check again the plants that I have near my staircase.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
25 Mar 13
Yes you should, you can find more details here--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieffenbachia
1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
24 Mar 13
Really ? we have those plants all over here in Mexico. i dont have any. But I think my brother does. i will tell him about that. have a great sunday there.
1 person likes this
You can find more information in the responses.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
24 Mar 13
my brother has 3 of them in his office.. he just told me this.
@nangisha (3495)
• Indonesia
31 Mar 13
The plant no danger its just another Facebook hoax, its not that's danger so don't kill thats poor plant because its can live with limited sunlight, which is will be great to decorate office.
@Mavic123456 (21893)
• Thailand
24 Mar 13
we have this at our home... and we never had a problem with it. Just inform the kids maybe or if the kids are that adventurous enough then get rid of it. So far in our neighborhood no one bothered at all.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
24 Mar 13
As i have said, I got this information in FACEBOOK page of a friend, I thought it is useful, hence sharing here.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Mar 13
I have done some checking on the net. You are 100% right, this plant can be a problem.
@extremefun4fun (2908)
• India
26 Mar 13
Thank you for sharing discussion. by the way, Dieffenbachiais is one of my favourite plant that we had in my parents home for many years and this plant react so fast on the love and attention which receives from us.... but how it has poison? does all of Dieffenbachiais have poison or just some of them?
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
26 Mar 13
Just check this for more information------http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieffenbachia
Thanks for response
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
26 Mar 13
It is a common plant here in our country. But thank God I don't have that plant in my garden. I actually have read that same kind of info somewhere here in at mylot some months ago so I immediately surveyed my garden to get rid if any but found none.
I have always been protective with the little ones. Never would I leave them to the maids because maids won't care the same way as parents does.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
26 Mar 13
Dear salonga
How are the twins now, are they going school?
Thanks for detailed response.
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
25 Mar 13
hi professor,
i have two of these in my living room. i guess i will just leave it there. i dont have a cat, nor children who can accidentally chew or swallow the leaves. my puppy hates plants too. so i dont worry.
have a great day.
ann
1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
25 Mar 13
Honey
I am not worried, you know how to take care of your pets, by the way, may i ask when you planted them, when i was in your home, there was none.
I am not worried, you know how to take care of your pets, by the way, may i ask when you planted them, when i was in your home, there was none.
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
28 Mar 13
Oh yes, I remembered reading this in one of the email.
Thank you for sharing it here and reminds us again.
I must check through the plants in my garden, office
and home too. It is better to avoid having this plant.
I remembered seeing this plants at the parks or garden near
some establishment like hotels. Hmmm... must be more observant!
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137770)
• India
26 Mar 13
All plants that are not edible need the same amount of caution as this plant that you have pointed out.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
24 Mar 13
Thank you for informing us, professor. We don't know that this plant is dangerous.
We have them as ornamental plants. Sometimes have them inside the house as decoration.
Now i know so i must tell my parents and siblings too, because we have that at our parents' house.
1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
24 Mar 13
Sister Dina
I shared what i saw, in the response our friend says, 'chewing the leaves causes numbness in the mouth and lips. The effects are NOT permanent and, though unpleasant, are NOT dangerous.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
25 Mar 13
I wouldn't want to chew any leaves that i haven't proven to edible, professor. 
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Mar 13
I had no idea that this plant was bad. Im so glad I saw this post here at my lot. :)
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
25 Mar 13
we have had that plant since as far as i can remember back in the 60's when we were still in our old house in Manila. think we still have a couple here in our garden, think all plants pose a danger since they have substances to protect themselves, now it's up to us to protect ourselves especially the children, guess that's how nature works
1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
26 Mar 13
Yes you are right friend, we must know right use of things.
@squallming (1775)
• Malaysia
24 Mar 13
If the information is accurate, it is a big shock for us. I have seen this plant almost everywhere and in my old house, we did have some. You mentioned that the leaf causes itching, but what actually kills? Is it by eating the plant that one can be killed? Anyway, I will make sure that I do not have that plant when I have my own house in the future, I will also keep away from the plant.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
24 Mar 13
I don't know if it is accurate or not, but you can see details in the other response, it says, 'chewing the leaves causes numbness in the mouth and lips. The effects are NOT permanent and, though unpleasant, are NOT dangerous. '
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Mar 13
If you do a search online you ll see, many places have posted bad things regarding that plant. i think its true.
@roshigo58 (4859)
• Pune, India
24 Mar 13
Hi,
We can see this plant in many gardens and houses. Thank you for sharing important information. I will tell this information to the people who are having this plant.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
15 Apr 13
hi progessor and to think they used to sell those as houseplants and we even had one in our home on the porch when I was a little girl.,Fortunately nobody messed around with its leaves and of course we did not have the knowledge then we do now. I never had on e in my own home as I had read a bit about them.I have read they if someone
chewed on a leave it made the tongue and throat nu
mb.
mb. @nangisha (3495)
• Indonesia
31 Mar 13
Its just another Facebook hoax, Facebook not really reliable with this kind information. I had so many this plant at home, and its really easy to grow even in shade, make it great plant in porch or near a window.
Its just someone making it seem so dangerous and become so popular because you can find the plant almost anywhere, and every one who see it share it to their friend because the believe the article. How misleading .
. @Kathy1981 (157)
• United States
25 Mar 13
I have heard of some poison plants over the year and I just do not want to take any chances at all by even having them in the house around my three young children.. Thanks for sharing the information. Weather true or not it is always good to have the facts and decide for yourself. take care.
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (14876)
• Philippines
25 Mar 13
I also have this plant in my office and at home. i also come across with that information on Fb and I tried to get rid all of them at once. It is better to be safe than sorry though I do not have problems with that growing in my home and office.
Thanks for this reminder.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
26 May 16
I uprooted all my diffenbachia plants when I saw it also in Facebook. Though they have beautiful broad leaves.
