The Lantana camara is a popular ornamental plant in this country. This is mainly due to its fascinating flowers, which change color during the flowering period and adorn the plant for several months. However, she is a very poisonous beauty, to humans and animals alike. The plant, which belongs to the verbena family, is poisonous in all parts of the plant, the concentration of the toxins in the different parts of the plant is different.

Poisonous garden beauty

Lantana is a highly toxic ornamental plant, affecting all parts of the plant, with the concentration of the poison being highest in the ripe and unripe berries. Lantana camara is the most poisonous species of the Lantana genus. The toxins are mainly the so-called lantadenes, icterogenin and triterpenes. Children are particularly at risk because they are magically attracted to the flowers and especially the berries of this plant.

Because of the dark color, they can easily mistake these berries for blueberries or currants and eat them. And since the berries contain the most toxins, poisoning in children can quickly become life-threatening.

The period between the event, i.e. the absorption of the poison and the body’s first reaction, the so-called latency period, is around 2.5 to 5 hours. The toxins are phototoxic, which means they take effect when exposed to sunlight. But not only in the body but also externally, contact with the poison can lead to inflammatory skin reactions.

Symptoms of poisoning

symptoms of poisoning

The symptoms in the event of poisoning are very similar to those of deadly nightshade poisoning and can be expressed as follows.

  • Toxicity causes nausea and vomiting
  • Pupils are dilated
  • bloody diarrhea and constipation
  • uncontrolled movements, weakness and muscle twitching
  • the flow of bile is impaired
  • Poison damages the liver and changes its enzymes as well as those in the blood
  • this causes typical features of jaundice
  • These are yellowish discolorations of the skin, mucous membranes and eyeballs
  • it can also lead to shortness of breath
  • skin contact and simultaneous exposure to the sun may cause an inflammatory skin rash

Also poisonous for animals

This poisonous plant also poses a threat to pets and livestock. Dogs, cats and small rodents such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters as well as cattle, cows and sheep are affected. Here, too, the symptoms of poisoning are triggered by the interaction with solar radiation.

Cattle and cows, for example, can die within a week after ingesting 25 g per kg of body weight. The symptoms of poisoning are very similar to those in humans. The animals suffer from bloody diarrhea, constipation, sensitivity to light, movement disorders, liver damage, jaundice and skin rashes.

First aid measures

First aid for poisoning

A life-threatening situation can quickly arise for children who have consumed the berries of this plant. For this reason, immediate action should be taken.

  • first remove any remains of berries or plants that are still in the child's mouth
  • then it is recommended to give the child plenty of fluids
  • never give milk
  • Milk could still favor the absorption of the poison
  • then go to a hospital or call an ambulance as soon as possible
  • Under no circumstances should you wait for the first symptoms to appear, especially in children
  • If the child has already vomited, take some of the vomit with you to the examination

Tip: In most cases of poisoning, it is advisable to call poison control. However, since this only has an advisory function, valuable time would be wasted. Therefore, always consult a doctor or, even better, a hospital as soon as possible. If there are external signs such as skin irritation, the affected areas of the skin should be rinsed off thoroughly.

Quick help for animals

Quick help for pets and livestock

Lantana camara is also poisonous to pets and livestock. The symptoms are very similar to those in humans. They also show sensitivity to light, suffer from vomiting, bloody diarrhea, constipation, movement disorders and yellow discoloration of the mucous membranes and eyeballs.

Accordingly, the animals, regardless of whether they are pets or livestock, should be presented to a veterinarian immediately. Many veterinary clinics also offer emergency services at weekends. By the way, many birds can eat these berries without showing any signs of poisoning.

Category:

Garden plants