The most poisonous succulent plants (and why you should grow them)

Рет қаралды 5,769

Ай бұрын

This video dives into the topic of the most toxic collectible and garden succulents, and considers whether they're worth keeping or not. This is a deep dive, considering the alkaloids contained within these plants, their impact on the body, and how these alkaloids are used or misused.
The focus is on four families of plants -- the Kalanchoes, the Pachypodiums, the Adenias and the Euphorbias. The plants featured include Kalanchoe delagoensis, Pachypodium namaquanum, Pachypodium lealii, Adenia glauca, Adenia venenata, Adenia volkensii and Euphorbia tirucalli. A video worth watching for any succulent or caudex plant enthusiast.

Пікірлер: 67

@southwesthardypalms Ай бұрын

I work at a cacti and succulent nursery here in Tucson, Arizona and I work with Euphorbia tirucalli almost every single day.. I had no idea the sap was THAT toxic. I have gotten it on my skin multiple times but have luckily washed it off immediately, as I know how nasty some euphorbias can be. This video has really opened my eyes. I will never repot this plant without gloves or eye protection again. Hopefully I haven’t had too much exposure.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Yeah it’s pretty bad news. Glad you’ve not had any bad experiences yet!

@bobmoshersmonsters Ай бұрын

They've all been great, but this is my favourite video from you so far! The presenting style, the information, top class stuff. Thanks mate!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Thanks mate! Appreciate the support

@okbutwhatisit Ай бұрын

Fascinating, thanks for sharing!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@edithsmith5510 Ай бұрын

Wow, I never knew! Thank you for that information.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

No problem! Thanks for watching

@grannyplants1764 Ай бұрын

Loved this, years ago I gave a talk on “Plants That Heal, Plants That Kill”. Doing research I was so fascinated by plant alkaloids (…end in “ ine”, nicotine, caffeine, berberine, codeine, etc) really enjoy your channel, going to go relook at Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World by Wink and Van Wyck, a gift from my daughter in 2011. Will comment again soon….oh what is the name of the tree in Australia that kills ? Manacheal? I’d love to see you talk about more of these plants 🌿☠️

@AridZine Ай бұрын

The Manchineel is from South America I think… pretty crazy stuff. We lay claim to the Gympie Gympie, which is apparently the worst sting of any plant in the world. They call it the suicide plant. Yikes!

@bunymustard2584 Ай бұрын

Good Gawd man! The last plant is grown everywhere as part of the landscape architecture where i live (los angeles, united states) 😵💀😵. Glad i don't have any in my yard. Thanks for the heads up

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Yeah they’re a real bastard plant and they’re everywhere! Cheers.

@dumoulin11 Ай бұрын

Scary and definitely worth knowing, thanks!!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@KnightBlooming Ай бұрын

Catching up on your videos as I have just found your channel here. Excellent info and we share the same taste in collecting it seems! I have grown all of these baddies and still have all but the pencil cactus right out back... A request if you know about 'dioscorea elephantipes' I just received a dormant one for growing. I'll keep watching and learning! Thanks!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Fantastic! Nothing like growing these odd and esoteric plants, great to find a fellow collector. As for Dioscorea elephantipes - I find it appreciates a bit of water while dormant, perhaps weekly depending on the substrate. When it begins to cool down and vine out it becomes quite thirsty.

@christinakara278 Ай бұрын

o wow that was creepy. .wont be cutting my pachyp. and euphorbs for sure, dont like oleander and tirucally, stay safe everyone, i ll stick to my cacti

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Cutting them is fine as long as you take care; most Pachys and Euphorbia aren’t nearly as toxic as the ones pictured here. Thanks for watching!

@alwinovicz81 Ай бұрын

That was some valuable information - thanks a lot! I've just had a pot of that colorful E. tirucalli in my hands at my local nursery a few days ago and thought about buying it, bc I hadn't seen it anywhere before (over here in Germany your weeds are not that common ;-)) - so glad I didn't!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Glad you found it valuable. Thanks a heap for watching

@cate7777 Ай бұрын

I have one of those Euphorbia "sticks on fire", the common name for it. I had no idea it is the beast you describe. Mine was a rescue plant from a friend who moved into a home where the previous owner left it behind and my friend not being a fan of succulents wanted it taken off her hands. I have had it for two years. No one has been injured because of it, but I probably should worry because of the wildlife that visits my yard. It can't go inside either because of indoor cats, dog and pet birds (parrots). I think I probably should "re-home" it. That Kalanchoe you showed is considered invasive in my state. All those babies falling off the mother plant; that's crazy. I will have to think about those others you mentioned, the Pachypodiums... same toxin as Oleander is because they are related to Oleanders - I remember reading this somewhere. Those prickly cousins are interesting, but I have enough prickles from my prickle muffins that are my cacti... Maybe I should stick to my Cacti, orchids and Hoya and call it a day. Thank you for the valuable info. It was very enlightening.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

You’re pretty safe with cacti, orchids and hoyas 😀

@Royaliize Ай бұрын

Damn i didnt knew kalancoe was that dangerous, not only are they weeds, many garden centers sells them, same with the Euphorbia tirucalli in garden centers where kids can reach them....🤨😰

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Not all Kalanchoe - but the ones with tiny plantlets such as mother of millions and mother of thousands. Thanks for watching!

@LittlefootOnthetrail16 Ай бұрын

Great video. Loved learning about all this. I think the most toxic plant I own is a baseball plant? I got the sap on me once. I think it might have itched a bit for a few minutes. Subscribed.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Yeah, the baseball plant Euphorbia obesa is a very mild cousin of the nasty guy in the video. Anyway, appreciate the support!

@cucar8363 Ай бұрын

Wow! I'm here for the fire sticks! One is on its way home. I love those sticks colors but I will be very careful when handling it! Thanks for all the info. 😊

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@stephenwilling7287 Ай бұрын

Thanks mate, very interesting. Do you need to ingest parts of these plants or the sap from them, for them to make you sick. Or can the toxins be absorbed through the skin and well. Not just burns and stuff like that from contact on the skin.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

I’ve not heard or read anything about them being absorbed by the skin - I’d still proceed with caution, especially handling Adenias. The Pachypodium and Kalanchoe would *probably* be okay though, at a guess.

@irienerd8178 Ай бұрын

I made the mistake of placing a large clump of Haworthia too close to the ground that a rabbit got to it and ate up a lot of leaves. I then noticed that the Kalanchoe was left unharmed and figured it wasn't appealing for some reason to the rabbit, but who knew it was because it didn't want to die.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Interesting, isn’t it. How these herbivores seem to have a knack for recognising toxic plants from the delicious ones…

@k.jespersen6145 Ай бұрын

Used to have a leaf-budding kalanchoe. Not like the one you showed! Mine never flowered, and its frilled, triangular leaves had a spreading habit rather than an upright one. Sadly, as the plant aged, its plantlets lost the ability to root, so by the time I realized it was going to die of its venerable years, I could no longer propagate its clones with any degree of ease. When the greenhouses in the U.S. advertise kalanchoes, I always take a look, but they're never anything like the one I used to have. Can you recommend any online databases that specialize in kalanchoes, so that I can figure out what strain mine used to be?

@AridZine Ай бұрын

I don’t know of a database, but I can narrow your search somewhat - look up the subgenus Bryophyllum. These are the Kalanchoes that have plantlets along their leaf margins. Might give you a start in the right direction.

@k.jespersen6145 Ай бұрын

@@AridZine Thank you! I will definitely pursue that search angle! 😁

@TaLeng2023 Ай бұрын

Only had Euphorbia milli, so far haven't gotten any itch out of it.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

A far more mild latex

@bile897 Ай бұрын

Umm I have your number one killer, I’m kind of nervous now. I got it at a plant shop and they didn’t mention any of this. Only that when it changes color in the fall. I don’t know if I should keep it or what. I have it in the backyard where my three year old plays. It’s potted and off the ground at least, but I think I need to move it.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Yeah I wouldn’t be keeping it anywhere near where a three year old can get into it. If you can put it somewhere out of the way they can be an attractive plant - but eventually you’ll need to prune it, so just be super careful. I suspect most shops who sell Euphorbia tirucalli have no idea about its true nature.

@bile897 Ай бұрын

@@AridZine thank you! Will do.

@codycarlson6963 Ай бұрын

What is that white cactus behind you? Over your right shoulder? It's glorious

@AridZine Ай бұрын

It’s Euphorbia polygona ‘Snowflake.’ You can get a better look at it in my Euphorbia 101 video if you’re interested.

@codycarlson6963 28 күн бұрын

@AridZine much appreciated. I found your channel after I got my Madagascar palm, and im obsessed with the content! Keep up the great work!

@doomsdoor Ай бұрын

I dont think the plantlets fall of the mother of millions/thousands if they grow too big, only if knocked off or plant is stressed. I had mother of thousands with plantlets growing on plantlets on the leaves of the mother plant It weight the plant down a lot because they were huge

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Interesting! I don’t know much about them in cultivation but I guess if they’re being mollycoddled with care, the stress factor is non existent and they can continue to grow - whereas in the environment, they’re much more likely to drop off due to extended periods without rain etc.

@doomsdoor Ай бұрын

@AridZine mine were in a greenhouse with no wind so they were happy

@chadscott9157 Ай бұрын

Shweet,,,, 👍

@AridZine Ай бұрын

😀

@Tybold63 Ай бұрын

Hmm have a Euphorbia tirucalli as a houseplant and suddenly it looked at me with evil eyes lol. Thank for the info and I will deffo get me some protecting glasses and gloves, cheers!

@AridZine Ай бұрын

It won’t do you any harm so long as you don’t try to prune it! 😀

@Tybold63 Ай бұрын

@@AridZine Ok thanks for response and it actually time to think of reducing it so this was very welcome info.

@Levhshiver616 Ай бұрын

EXUSE ME!!!! prolonged exposure causes cancer!? MY BROTHER WHY ARE YOU HOLDING IT???

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Prolonged exposure to the sap can cause cancer - thankfully not the plant more generally!

@gazepskotzs4 Ай бұрын

Dude you overdramatized so much you made people paranoid about these plants. People are often hysterical about toxicity in plants nowadays.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Keen to know which bit is overdramatised - it’s just a series of facts extracted from scientific papers and then a recommendation, and I recommend growing two of the four plants in the video. Help me understand.

@gazepskotzs4 Ай бұрын

@@AridZine the emphasis on certain words

@gazepskotzs4 Ай бұрын

I know you used facts for this vid. People just go so quickly berserk over a poisonous plant that normally nobody would ingest anyway. Overhere some plants get mass annihilated for the fact that they can cause blisters. Instead of educating people they try to eradicate it.

@AridZine Ай бұрын

Yeah I understand that. Really, the message I’m promoting is to be careful - which I don’t think is over dramatic, when there’s a lot of people who don’t know about E. tirucalli sap, grow it in their gardens and need to prune it with some regularity. Especially so when there’s kids and pets around. Anyway, thanks for your feedback

@gazepskotzs4 Ай бұрын

@@AridZine i know you were speaking facts and it is a good vid. I think it is important info but most poisonous plants aren't as bad as lots of people seem to think