I wonder how often people have been put off planting Euonymus when they see that Toronto's Sick Kids' Hospital calls them 'poisonous to humans' as they declare in 'Information for Families - Plant Safety'.
What are parents supposed to do with this information ? See to it that their home garden is Euonymus free ? or go to the childrens' school and rebuke the principal for using 'Emerald Gaiety', 'Emerald and Gold' or the popular Burning Bush to bring life to the asphalt and concrete of the typical schoolyard ?
Going through the piles of books stacked beside my desktop as I work on toxic taxa, it is actually quite surprising that many authors do not address Euonymus at all; and those that do make light of the matter. Of course the 'Toronto List' says starkly, Euonymus: and so convicts all 170 species that grow on every continent except Antarctica. However, there is one species that may merit attention: The Spindle Tree, Euonymus europaeus is most often cited as being hazardous; although the A.M.A. Handbook says, "There are few reported human cases of human exposure,(sic) and they are not readily accessible." ( I don't know what that last remark means. ) But I do note the poor grammer. Also, "Euonymus europaeus contains a digitalis-like steroid and a number of alkaloids with gastrointestinal irritant properties."
We get much more frightening statements from the authors of "Mind-Altering and Poisonous Plants of the World (Timber Press 2008) when they tell us that "All parts are toxic, especially fruits; 36 fruits are SAID to kill an adult person; (My emphasis) 2 fruits caused a severe poisoning in a 7 year-old child." They do not give a reference so I am unable at least for the moment to decide the truth of the matter. I would like to know what is meant by 'a severe poisoning' and believe me, you haven't heard the last of this.
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