Lilies of the valley are beautiful to look at, but the question arises whether they are poisonous or not - especially because they are very similar to the delicious wild garlic.
lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) enchant the viewer in European forests and gardens with their white bell-shaped flowers. With their pretty blossoms, the little Marian flowers look like innocence personified. But the plants only wrap themselves in the cloak of avoidable harmlessness and become a trap for curious children and unsuspecting herb collectors every year.
contents
- Lily of the valley poisonous or not?
- Lily of the Valley: The Poisoning Symptoms
- Lily of the valley: what to do in case of poisoning?
- Lily of the valley: also poisonous for dogs and cats?
- Successfully distinguishing lily of the valley from wild garlic
Lily of the valley poisonous or not?
Lily of the valley is highly toxic and was even named poisonous plant of the year in 2014. All plant parts contain toxic glycosides of the carenolipid type. Even drying the plant does not make it harmless. The seeds and the innocent-looking flower in particular are packed with 38 of these chemical compounds. The substances are also absorbed by flower water in which lilies of the valley have stood. These have a very strong effect on the heart. Because of this property, the lily of the valley was already popular in the 15th century. Century entry into folk medicine and healing. Modern conventional medicine also uses tolerable small amounts as an active ingredient in medicines. However, there should be a big exclamation mark after "tolerable small quantities".
Lily of the valley: from what quantity poisonous?
After consuming one to five berries, only brief cardiac arrhythmias are to be expected. Fortunately, our body does not absorb much of the toxins. From a larger amount it becomes critical. The leaves have to be handled properly for them to lead to serious poisoning. Nevertheless, lilies of the valley should of course not be eaten!
Lily of the Valley: The Poisoning Symptoms
Even contact with the plant triggers skin and eye irritation. After eating plant components of the lily of the valley, attention should be paid to the following symptoms:
- chest tightness
- diarrhea
- cardiac arrhythmias
- visual disturbances
- dizziness
- nausea
The first symptoms are high blood pressure and a high pulse rate. Later, blood pressure drops and breathing becomes deeper until death occurs from cardiac arrest.
Lily of the valley: what to do in case of poisoning?
If you ingest any part of the plant, you should call poison control. This provides information on whether an ambulance needs to be contacted. Check vital signs until paramedics arrive. Administer a charcoal tablet if available in the medicine cabinet. This binds the toxins in the stomach. If large amounts have been consumed, the doctor treats it as if it were cardiac glycoside poisoning. Any poisoning must be reported to the poison control center.
Lily of the valley: also poisonous for dogs and cats?
The plants are not only poisonous for humans. Dogs and cats can also poison themselves with the early bloomers. The symptoms of poisoning are similar to those in humans. A veterinarian should be consulted immediately and the incident later reported to the Poison Information Center. The glycosides are also toxic to pigs, goats, horses, hares, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs, and birds.
Successfully distinguishing lily of the valley from wild garlic
In March and April, when lilies of the valley only occasionally show their flowers, it is wild garlic season (Allium ursinum) in native forests. However, the leaves of the garlic-scented wild herb are very similar to the poisonous leaves of the lily of the valley. Poisoning occurs every year because the poisonous doubles end up in the wicker basket when hunting for wild garlic. There are a lot of differences between the two forest dwellers. All information about how you recognize wild garlic can be found here: So that you can safely take part in the next wild garlic collection campaign.
Although lilies of the valley are poisonous, they are still beautiful plants. If you decide to plant lilies of the valley in your garden, you will find all the information you need here lily of the valley, from planting to tending to propagating.