Warning over 'toxic' plant commonly sold in Australia: 'Can be dangerous'
Desert rose plants have a poisonous sap that is harmful to people and animals if ingested.
With its swollen stem and beautiful vibrant flowers, it’s no wonder the exotic desert rose plant is a backyard favourite for keen Aussie gardeners. However, behind the succulent’s alluring exterior is a “dangerous” and toxic reality.
Adenium obesum — the most common variety of desert rose — is native to areas such as the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, but “is commonly sold and planted in Australia”, Dermot Molloy, a horticulturist with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, told Yahoo News Australia.
Despite its popularity, many people may be oblivious to the fact the slow-growing plant is part of the apocynaceae family, meaning it has a poisonous sap that “can be dangerous” if it’s ingested or gets into someone’s eyes.
“Please use gloves and eye protection if pruning,” Mr Molloy warned.
Desert rose plant's toxic sap stuns Aussies
Last week, Aussies were stunned after a Queensland nursery revealed the desert rose’s toxicity “amid howls of outrage” in a Facebook post. “Without going into mild hysteria, we just need to know that the plants have toxic sap,” Bundaberg Landcare wrote.
Locals responded that they had no idea the plant was a hidden threat. “Interesting. I did not know that. Lots of plants are poisonous,” one woman said.
“They’re very pretty and so unusual. I’ve loved them for years,” another commented.
Desert rose should be kept away from kids and pets
Another popular desert rose species is adenium multiflorum, which features many flowers and produces a highly-poisonous liquid when a branch is snapped off. “The sap is described as a watery or milky latex,” Damian Wrigley, manager of living collections and conservation at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, told Yahoo News.
"It is common in the apocynaceae family for this toxicity to be present. The toxicity comes from toxic alkaloids, specifically cardiac glycosides.”
The plant should be kept away from children, pets and other animals, Mr Wrigley said, adding “all parts of the plant contain the toxic cardiac glycosides”.
“The common symptoms that arise following ingestion include an upset stomach, reduction in blood pressure, dizziness, lethargy and a slow heart rate.”
Given it’s an introduced species, Aussies should prevent it from escaping home gardens so it doesn’t become a pest plant within the environment. The most responsible approach is to keep desert roses “in a well contained garden or in a pot”, Mr Wrigley said. “The species is known to do well when kept as a bonsai.”
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