Hydrangea
General poisoning notes:
Hydrangea (Hydrangea
macrophylla) is an outdoor ornamental that is grown in the warmer parts of
Canada. This plant has poisoned humans after they ingested the flower buds. Sensitive
individuals can develop dermatitis after exposure to hydrangea. Older case
reports of poisoning of horses and cattle appear in the literature, but no
recent reports are available (Apted 1973, Bruynzeel 1986, Fuller and McClintock
1986).
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.)
Ser.
Vernacular
name(s): hydrangea
Scientific family
name: Saxifragaceae
Vernacular family
name: saxifrage
Geographic Information
Plant or plant
parts used in or around the home.
Toxic parts:
Flower buds, leaves.
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Hydragin, a
cyanogenetic glycoside, is presumed to be responsible for toxicity because it
can release hydrocyanic acid upon hydrolysis. Der Marderosian and Roia (1976)
administered 3 g of plant extract intraperitoneally, in 10 mL of liquid
suspension per 100 g of body weight. All rats died when given extracts from
hydrangea flowers and leaves. No mice died when orally fed 100 mg of flower
material per 35 g body weight.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Hydragin
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Abdominal
pains, breathing, labored, diarrhea.
Horses
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Diarrhea.
Notes on poisoning:
A horse that
ingested hydrangea experienced contraction of the abdominal muscles, diarrhea,
and stiffness of limbs (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
Humans
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Abdominal
pains, coma, diarrhea, erythema, gastroenteritis, lethargy, vomiting.
Notes on poisoning:
Ingesting
hydrangea flower buds has resulted in poisoning (Fuller and McClintock 1986).
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