As beautiful as daphne blooms in spring and as decorative as the red fruits are, caution is advised when planting because the ornamental shrub is highly poisonous. Not only the fruits contain poison, the bark and leaves also cause symptoms upon contact.
Why is daphne poisonous?
Daphne is a poisonous ornamental plant whose almost all parts of the plant - bark, leaves and seeds - contain diterpenes, daphnetoxin and mezerein. Contact or consumption may cause skin irritation, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea and cardiovascular disorders.
That's why daphne is so dangerous
Daphne should never be planted in a location within reach of children or pets. It is highly poisonous in almost all parts of the plant. Only the pulp itself contains no poison.
The plant contains diterpenes, the bark contains daphnetoxin. The seeds in particular are highly poisonous. They contain the poison mezerein, which can be fatal depending on the dose. If the seeds are chewed, the poison is released.
Eating just a few seeds can have serious consequences:
- Swelling and burning of the oral mucosa
- Salivation
- Difficulty swallowing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cardiovascular disorders
Daphne is poisonous upon contact
The poison from leaves and bark enters the body through skin contact alone. Affected areas begin to itch and redden. The poison later causes blisters and inflammation.
You must therefore wear gloves when caring for daphne. Don't leave cuttings lying around, burn them straight away or throw them in the trash.
Also poisonous to many animals
Daphne is not only poisonous to people. Almost all pets, from dogs to tortoises, can be poisoned by the plant.
Immediate measures after contact or ingestion
If the daphne stone fruits have been accidentally eaten, immediate action is required. Call the poison control center or go to the doctor or hospital immediately.
Birds, butterflies and bees love daphne
In gardens without small children or pets, daphne is kept as a very valuable ornamental plant. The early flowering provides the bees with their first food.
During flowering, the shrub also attracts many butterflies. Ten species of birds feed on the fruits of daphne.
Use in natural medicine
Daphne is used in homeopathy to treat various ailments. However, self-medication is strongly discouraged due to the toxicity of daphne. Nowadays, daphne no longer plays a role in conventional medicine.
Tip
Real daphne is one of the protected plants. It may not be taken from the wild.