Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - September 04, 2006
From: Oak Grove, LA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Toxicity of Peruvian Lilies (Alstroemeria sp) for food decoration
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hi, I am trying to find out if I can decorate a cake using live alstroemeria laid on top of the icing. I would not want to eat the flower, just lay it on top to look pretty before removing and serving the cake. Thanks for your help!ANSWER:
Perhaps it wouldn't be the best idea to put Peruvian Lilies (Alstroemeria sp.), beautiful as they are, on your cake. University of California Davis lists them on their Toxic Plants list in Toxicity Class 2 ("Minor Toxicity: Ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting and diarrhea.") and Class 4("Dermatitis: The juice, sap, or thorns of these plants may cause a skin rash or irritation."). The Peruvian Lily is also listed by the Washington Poison Center with the same toxicity ratings.More Poisonous Plants Questions
Is purple grass poisonous if eaten by a dog?
June 04, 2009 - Is purple grass poisonous if eaten by a dog?
view the full question and answer
Detoxifying soil from York England
August 15, 2012 - How do you neutralize toxic soil, it may have been contaminated by Foxglove Digitalis Purpurea?
Thankyou
view the full question and answer
Is Asclepias incarnata poisonous to dogs?
June 13, 2012 - Is Asclepias incarnata safe in a farm/yard with plenty of dogs running around? What happens if a dog eats the leaves or seeds or pods? Is eating any of these fatal to dogs?
view the full question and answer
Are palm leaves poisonous?
August 25, 2009 - I live in a second story house surronded by various types of palm trees on the west coast of Florida. My 1 year old son crawls on the decks and tries to taste all of the palm leaves that sneak through...
view the full question and answer
Is Phyla lanceolata (frogfruit) poisonous to dogs fromTitusville FL?
June 01, 2014 - Is Phyla lanceolata, also called Fogfruit, Lanceleaf Fogfruit, or Northern Fogfruit, toxic to dogs? We have it growing amongst our grass. I can't find it on any toxic plant list.
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |