DABT, you are right. There is almost no information about HOW poisonous a part of the plant is, as I have searched hundreds of web sites for something specific and could not find anything specific. I don't think there have been studies done on it at all. I am guessing that much of a plant's toxicity rating comes from individuals who have eaten it and said "I'm pretty sure this particular plant made me sick when I ate some leaves." Other statements may be based on the fact that scientists found alkaloid x in the stem parts, so it must be poisonous. Plus it varies from person to person how much of a substance will make them feel bad, vomit, pass out, etc.

That said, I would just watch your child to make sure he doesn't eat anything in the garden. Touching plants, is another concern, and you should be able to identify the following 3 common plants in the US:

- poison ivy/oak: causes extreme itching for 2-4 weeks.

- cow parsnip, giant hogweed (heracleum) which I just learned, has sap which causes blisters. That is, when the sap on your skin is exposed to sun, it causes burning and blisters (photodermatitis). See my thread trying to id this plant here.

- stinging nettle: causes burning for about 5 minutes when grabbed.

By age 2 kids should be done with the "put everything in my mouth" stage, so I wouldn't worry too much. Be responsible, but don't over worry. Keep in mind that all kids get bruises, cuts, scrapes, stitches, and broken bones. And they all turn out fine later on. :)

One of my friend's found their kid (about age 2 if I remember) chugging away at a bottle of lemon scented dish soap. Apparently it tasted like lemon too. They took him to the hospital, he burped up a few bubbles, but he was fine. Nothing else ever came of that event.

DABT, as I have an interest in wild edible plants I have learned a few things. One important thing you can assume is ALL MUSHROOMS ARE POISONOUS. They are difficult to tell apart from the edible ones without a microscope. The other thing is, poisonous plants usually (but not always) taste bad, really bad, so if a kid starts to chew on one, he will soon spit it out. So, in the interest of keeping things simple so you can keep your kids safe, let me make some generalizations which will put you on the safe side of caution:

- All white berries are poisonous.
- Plants which are poisonous taste bitter.
- Plants with white/milky sap are generally poisonous (except cow parsnip above, which has a clear sap)
- All fungi and mushrooms are poisonous and some can kill with just one small taste.
- Hemlock is poisonous (see Socrates) and looks just like wild carrot/Queen Anne's Lace.

You can get a book on Edible Wild Plants. Mine shows me what similar but poisonous plants look like. So it shows me wild carrot, and shows me hemlock also, and tells me the differences, which are very subtle indeed. Many field guides to plants or wild flowers also tell you which ones are poisonous.

Post the phone number to your poison control center on your fridge. Make sure it is in a handy place where kids can't pull it down and lose it.

One thing I learned as a parent is kids eat all kinds of things, like coins, legos, small beads, gum, and apple seeds (which contain cyanide compounds), yet they have no ill effects for the most part. And they don't make "chink chink" sounds when they walk around from all the coins, they don't pass a whole spaceship in the toilet from all the lego pieces they ate, and an apple tree doesn't grow in their stomach.

Be vigilent but don't make yourself crazy.

I love it! Thanks so much for the very practical advice.

(I got a good chuckle about the spaceship!)

I guess I won't kill all of the morning glories.

Here's a link of some commong poisonous plants, with their effects (very helpful, if it only causes a skin rash or an upset stomach, it's not toxic in my mind, just an irritant). It's often confusing (I've looked into this subject for my cats) because even if it only causes a skin rash a plant is often listed as toxic. This link also has a link to a much more extensive list from North Carolina State. http://sd1new.net/poisonous_plants.htm

Also, while trying to find the toxic component of morning glories I stumbled across the link below. This guy? has eaten hundreds of seeds, and it sounds like the affects are hallucinogenic. I'm not posting it as a suggestion that you try and follow his recipe, but because it shows that you don't really need to worry about the MG's.

Here is a link that might be useful: Preparing Morning Glory Seeds

YES!!!!

Thank you SO much flutterby81! I looked all over the net for a list that would actually show HOW poisonous plants are. The North Carolina State site was especially helpful.

In the process of checking out Morning Glories, I found a few of those rather interesting sites too. Wasn't expecting that.

Thanks again for your help!

There are some plants that are very poisonous and I wouldn't have them in a garden where there are children. They include Angels's trumpets or Datura, and Caster bean. Especially the caster bean because they do get seeds that look like big beans and might be tempting for a child to put in their mouth!

I think the important message here is not which plants are poisonous or how poisonous, but establishing the way your child explores the world. It may sound lovely to plant "an edible garden" in which he can nibble at will, but is this wise?

I don't see anything wrong with teaching caution at a very early age. The rule should be "ask mom first." Simple enough. And it doesn't matter if the kid is 2 or 10, the rule still applies. My 9 year old daughter still knows better than to put any plant in her mouth without asking first, even if she knows it's okay, like a pea or something. She'd better ask before picking it in the first place. :)

I know about a lot of edible wild things, for example, and I like to share them with the kids. Does that mean I'm teaching them how to graze in the wild? Nope. When my DD was about 5, the next door neighbor took it upon himself to "teach" her and his own daughter that they could eat wood sorrel and enjoy its sour tang. I was furious, because from then on, I'd catch her finding it and nibbling on it without asking. "Scott said it was okay," she'd say.

I explained that while she might very well be right about the plant, most people considered it a weed and she might find a patch that had just been sprayed with poison. Better ask first.

If the kid learns to ask, then it doesn't matter how poisonous your plants are. Though it still might be best to avoid the worst ones.