Watch Out, Alabama That Plant May Not Be What You Think It Is

The title Alabama the Beautiful applies so well to the unique plant life we see in our state. However, even though our plant life is beautiful, it can be deadly.

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Growing up in the South we are all familiar with poison oak and poison ivy but you are probably not that familiar with Poison Sumac. Poison Sumac isn’t as common as poison oak or poison ivy it mainly grows in marsh areas where there is a lot of moisture is present.

Sumac Picture

The sumac leaf is usually anywhere from 7 to 13 leaves that are paired off. If you come into contact with Sumac, it can cause swelling and blistering.

As Children, we all found the honeysuckle bush and enjoyed the sweet nectar from the flower. However, Carolina Jessamine may look similar to the honeysuckle but it’s not a sweet treat. Jessamine calls Alabama home and it is a beautiful flower, but you don’t want to ingest it.

Every part of this flower is toxic, especially the seeds and the leaves. If someone was to come into contact with this plant by ingestion would be very sick and experience vomiting, dizziness, and breathing issues.

I can remember growing up my grandmother having Azaleas around her yard but did you know certain types of Azaleas are toxic? There is a class of Rhododendron genus Azaleas that if someone were to ingest them it could cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and even cause the victim’s blood pressure to drop low.

Azalea picture

Our state is a beautiful one the floral life is amazing but be aware of the planets you decide to touch or even ingest. As we have learned, looks are deceiving.