To grow or not to grow
A splash of floral colour brightens up a suburban garden and attracts busy bees and chirpy birds, but some of the most popular blooms, shrubs and climbers have a dark side.
Here are five plants that may or may not be suitable for your garden.
1. Gazania
Hailing from South Africa, the golden daisy-like flowers and dense foliage of the gazania plant provide colourful ground cover (main image: Getty).
However, because it’s well suited to our Mediterranean climate, gazania will cover any ground it can, which puts it in direct competition with native species and agricultural crops.
A trip to our local beachside dunes reveals it’s not too fussy where it grows. The flowers produce plenty of seeds which can be windblown up to a kilometre.
Gazania is a declared weed in South Australia, meaning it can’t be sold or traded in any way.
Sterile, trademarked varieties named Double Gold, Sunset Jane and Montezuma are exempt from this rule and can be bought at garden shops.
2. Oleander
Despite its high toxicity level, Nerium oleander is still common in household gardens and on council nature strips, due to its vibrant pink and white flowers.
All parts of this introduced plant contain cardiac glycosides, which, as the name suggests, can affect the heart.
Poisoning symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, slowed heartbeat, seizures and coma, while the sap can cause skin irritation.
Fortunately, the plant is bitter to taste, so it’s unlikely kids and pets will eat enough for it to be fatal.
Adding to its menace, oleander’s toxins are released into the air when it burns.
3. Nasturtium
Many kids will have nipped the spur on the back of a nasturtium flower to taste the sweet nectar.
An import from the Andes mountain range in South America, nasturtiums have settled nicely into Adelaide and now cover vast sections of the Torrens Riverbank.
Although it’s considered a weed in SA, nasturtium isn’t poisonous and the flowers have even been known to pop up in salads.
Because of its invasive nature, Environment SA have recommended it not be planted.
4. Lantana
With its clusters of tiny multi-coloured flowers, Lantana camara (common lantana) has enjoyed many years decorating South Australian gardens.
In fact, the plant’s first recorded Australian appearance was at Adelaide’s Old Botanic Garden (just north of Botanic Park) in 1841.
Originally from Central and South America, Lantana has since become an invasive weed in Australia’s tropical and sub-tropical regions. It has been declared a Weed of National Significance – which isn’t an award.
Anyone who’s tried to remove this pretty monster from their backyard will have discovered its vicious thorns.
Its other defensive charms include toxicity to humans and animals, and an ability to release chemicals into the soil to prevent germination of other plant species.
Small children and pets are particularly vulnerable to its toxin.
5. Daffodil
Yep, even daffodils can be a problem. With their vivid yellow blooms, daffodils have long been popular in floral displays. But all parts of the plant, particularly the bulbs beneath the ground, contain a toxin called lycorine.
Lycorine poisoning symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal pain, however the affects are usually mild. Daffodils should be kept out of reach of children and pets.
Check out this extensive list of plants prohibited for sale in South Australia.
Call 13 11 26 for the 24-hour Poisons Information Centre.
Call 000 in an emergency.