Forsythia is a popular ornamental shrub that is one of the first heralds of spring with its bright yellow flowers in March. The blooming branches of the forsythia decorate many homes during Easter and are often hung with colorful eggs. This attracts the interest of many small children to the beautiful branches of forsythia, which seem to herald warmer days with their sunny yellow colour.
forsythia
But it is often reported that the yellow flowering branches are very poisonous and could be dangerous for children. This is a common misconception. It stems from the fact that many people believe that forsythia and laburnum are one and the same plant. In fact, however, forsythia is nicknamed goldbells, while laburnum is a completely different plant. Laburnum is highly toxic. Its poison is particularly concentrated in the seeds. But what about forsythia? Here concerned parents and pet owners can find out whether this plant can also be a danger to children or pets, or whether it is safe to decorate gardens and homes with it.
origin
What is an ornament for the garden should not be a danger for the child and the pet
The European garden forsythia is a species of Asian forsythia cultivated in temperate climates, with the botanical name Forsythia. The plant, which originates from China, is often used as an ornamental shrub in our latitudes. It is also known as gold bells or gold lilac. Together with other ornamental shrubs and flowering plants, it adorns borders and lawns. If a garden was designed before a child, dog or cat joined the family, it should be checked again whether the existing colorful and decorative plants and shrubs do not include any that could endanger the health and well-being of children and pets. Is the popular goldbell also one of the questionable plants that should be replaced, or can the whole family enjoy it?
toxicity
Factors that decide whether forsythia is poisonous or harmless
Saponins and other glycosides occur in the various parts of the plant of the goldbell. However, saponins are also among the ingredients of numerous vegetable plants such as spinach, tomatoes or peas. They are harmless to humans, but intolerable for some animal species. However, this does not apply to pets such as dogs and cats, so they can be kept in gardens decorated with the goldbell without hesitation. Birds and insects are animals that could be harmed by the substances contained in the plant. You stay away from the laburnum. In addition to glycosides, its flowers also contain various essential oils.
plant parts
Suitable for gardens due to low toxicity
The scientific answer to whether the goldbell is life-threatening for children is no. The plant is poisonous to a small extent. This affects all of their parts. The level of toxicity is so low that golddrops make a wonderful addition to a family garden, as they are safe for offspring and pets. In addition, their beautiful sight is an enrichment for the home paradise.
toxins
When to be careful and which parts of the plant are affected
Goldbells are slightly toxic in the leaves, fruit and seeds as there are saponins and glycosides in all of these parts. The yellow flowers also contain glycosides and essential oils. It is not known how many parts of the goldbell plant cause symptoms after eating them. Possible symptoms of poisoning after swallowing large amounts of seeds, fruits, leaves or flowers are malaise with nausea, abdominal pain and possibly diarrhea.
toxic effect
The effect of the herbal ingredients
Consuming large amounts of seeds, fruits, leaves or flowers can lead to discomfort with nausea, abdominal pain and possibly diarrhea. Flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin are found in the flowers of the plant. Rutin is known in herbal medicine as an important active ingredient for alleviating vein problems (venous edema). As a rule, however, it is used with buckwheat herb, since the goldbell has only a small proportion of the medicinal substance.
prevention
tips and tricks
Children should be warned against eating the plant. Parents can caution them not to be tempted by the golden yellow color of the flowers into eating them. In general, it is advisable to teach children never to swallow parts of plants they are not familiar with. In this way, it can be ruled out that stomach upsets or other mild symptoms of poisoning will occur. If, despite all caution, small children have symptoms after consuming large amounts of plant parts, the administration of liquids such as water and tea can alleviate them and allow them to subside completely. Administering ripe bananas or eating bitter chocolate can also be helpful if you have an upset stomach with diarrhea.
Sources:
- University of Bonn
https://www.aktuell.uni-bonn.de/forsythien.-die-plant-des-monats-dezember
- Information center against poisoning Bonn
http://www.gizbonn.de/105.0.html?&no_cache=1&sword_list%5B%5D=forsythia