Is the thuja tree of life poisonous? Information for humans & animals

Due to its dense growth and characteristic smell, the thuja tree of life is a popular hedge plant that can be found in many gardens and parks. The plants from Asia and America are closely related to false cypresses and cypresses and also contain like these types of essential oils, which are responsible for the aroma of the individual parts of the plant, especially the leaves is. False cypresses are poisonous and here the question arises: are they also trees of life?

ingredients

Yes, the thuja tree of life is an extremely poisonous plant that can cause skin irritation even if it is touched. The reason for this are the special ingredients of the genus, which are responsible for the toxicity. Above all, these are contained in the essential oils, which are highly concentrated in the leaf tips, cones and wood. There is a toxic main active ingredient and other substances that can also have an effect on the organism. These are the ones listed below.

1. Thujones

Thujones are liquids that are part of the essential oils of thuja and are found there in a concentration of up to 60 percent. They have an aroma that is reminiscent of menthol. Specifically, the (-) - a-thujone occurs in the tree of life. Thujones are nerve toxins that become highly toxic, especially in higher doses, and cause a multitude of complaints can trigger, even if they are a natural component of the terpenes that are found in every essential oil are.

2. Camphor

Compared to thujones, camphor is a solid, but it occurs in the plant as a solution. The substance acts on the central nervous system, the kidneys and, in high amounts, on the respiration. In contrast to the thujones, camphor is lethal even in small amounts, but the concentration in thuja oil is quite low.

3. Tannins

In addition to possible poisons and other defense mechanisms, tannins are the only way for the plant to protect itself from predators. They develop a bitter taste that is unpleasant in the mouth and therefore provides effective protection.

4. More fabrics

The plant also contains terpineols and flavonoids. Flavonoids are dyes, while terpineols are fragrances.

The mixture of thujones and camphor contained in the essential oil is poisonous on the tree of life. Even small amounts of the essential oils have an irritating effect on a large number of organisms.

Toxicity

For the people

Children of all ages, adults and seniors should all keep a safe distance from the thuja. Children in particular should be careful around the conifers. As mentioned above, skin irritation can occur on contact and for this reason gloves should be worn for annual care or pruning. In rare cases, the mucous membranes can even be irritated when caring for the plant, but the tree of life becomes particularly dangerous when parts of the plant are consumed. The following symptoms are indicators of poisoning, which can occur even after taking small amounts.

• Irritation of the mucous membranes
• Discomfort in the stomach and intestines
• nausea
• Nausea
• Flatulence
• Diarrhea
• Liver damage
• Kidney damage
• cramps
• Paralysis
• Death (very rare)
• miscarriage can occur during pregnancy

Of course, it should be noted here that children suffer much more from the oils than adults. The organism of children, especially small children, is still growing and therefore very susceptible to the poison. The highest dosage is absorbed either by consuming the leaf and shoot tips or directly through the juice of the thuja. However, it is not known how much plant material must be consumed for the tree of life to be deadly. Since thuja is so toxic, it is especially important to keep it away from children, sensitive people, pregnant women and the elderly. In the event of accidental ingestion, follow the steps outlined below.

• Give liquid over water or gentle teas, for example chamomile
• Contact a doctor
• keep Calm

If you are not sure whether the plant in question is a tree of life, you should take vomit or parts of the plant with you to the doctor so that they can be identified can. Hallucinations or anxiety are not triggered by because there is not enough camphor.

Tip: Often people take the leaves of the arborvitae in their hands and rub them so that the typical smell develops. But a possible reaction can already occur here, especially in sensitive people, Seniors and children, even if the plant has not been injured beforehand, such as one Cut.

For dog

Trees of life are also extremely poisonous to dogs and you should therefore avoid bringing the dogs into contact with the poison. Even if dogs are actually not interested in the fruits of the conifers, it can logically happen that the four-legged friend has fun with the branches or leaves. They stimulate the play and hunting instinct. Since saliva forms on the shoots when chewing, the oils can be absorbed by the dog and poisoning occurs. This also happens when picking up leaves. However, some dogs do not like the smell of the thuja and keep their distance from the plant.

Tip: If you have a cat, you should make sure that they do not eat any leaves or shoots from the trees. Cats are generally very curious and, depending on the cat, the smell of the tree of life scares them off or they want to nibble at it because the aroma attracts them.

For horses

The tree of life is just as poisonous for horses as it is for other four-legged friends. The problem here is that horses often like the smell of the leaves and try to consume them. The higher the amount of plant parts consumed, the greater the risk of life-threatening poisoning. In addition, the poison increases the risk of infections and causes impaired consciousness.

• http://www.gizbonn.de/133.0.html
• https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone
• http://www.phytodoc.de/heilpflanzen/thuja