EUCALYPTUS According to "Information for Parents - Plant Safety" from Toronto's Sick Kids' Hospital, Eucalyptus are 'known to be poisonous to humans'. www.sickkids.ca/poisoninformationcentre/
Piece of rubbish ! There are more than 400 species of these oily aromatic Southern Hemisphere trees and shrubs. None that I can discover are poisonous to humans nor are they medicinally therapeutic. We may identify the distinct taste and smell of eucalypts as 'medicinal' despite their lack of any health enhancing qualities although you will find the strange smell in Vick's Vapo-Rub and Hall's Throat Lozenges. I am a cough drop sucker too but even a placebo effect is probably denied me since I know 'that it is all in your head.'
Eucalyptus plants are not rare as house plants in Canada, but not common either. Should you like their strange odour, they could be considered a natural 'air freshener' and you can quite often find a foliage stem included in a bunch of fresh flowers. Eucalyptus which is the dietary staple for the Australasian Koala is not poisonous to humans or dogs; it can be hurtful to cats. Now, don't have a panic attack. A cat can be allowed an experimental nibble but no more, since it would eventually damage the cats' liver. So, if you have cats and Eucalyptus; one of them will have to go.
Thre are reports of one species of Gum Tree causing significant harm to Australian sheep but I cannot see that that should be of concern to you or me or the staff of the Poison Information Centre. Give them a call at 1 800 268 9017 or 416 813 5900 and ask them to explain in what way Eucalyptus ( or any other plant that they have accused of being poisonous ) is harmful. If you are told that it can cause a dermatisis I won't be at all surprised as it seems that there will always be someone somewhere who can suffer this kind of reaction although usually only with repeated exposure over time. By all means give them a call. put your tax dollars to work. It seems to me that they have lots of 'splainin to do.
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