We are surrounded by plants that may cause skin and eye irritation. Here are some
of the most commonly found plants that could cause health problems that on occasion
can be quite serious.

As when someone is poisoned, account must first of all be taken of each person's sensitivity to the substance in question. It is generally worth knowing that the part of the plant that generally causes most damage to the skin is the sap.

The indoor plants that you should watch out for include the Dieffenbachia, a highly poisonous species that also causes stinging and strong irritation in the eyes if its sap is touched.

The sap of the Ficus benjamina meanwhile, causes dermatitis and the dust of its leaves causes conjunctivitis if it comes into contact with the eyes. Another plant whose sap can be irritating is the montsera.

All plants of the euphorbia species have a milky latex on the leaves or stems which is highly irritating to the skin and if it comes into contact with the eyes can cause vision disorders. Very different plants belong to this family, from a weed that is very frequent in our gardens to the so-called Easter plant, euporiba pulcherrima.

Beautiful but dangerous
Hyacinths, daffodils, tulips and other bulbous plants can also sometimes cause problems, as their sap can be irritating. The tulip bulb, for example, frequently causes strong allergic reactions. Also, if any part of an onion touches the eye it causes conjunctivitis.

The sap of the ivy, above all in young shoots, can cause dermatitis. Those that cause the strongest skin reaction, with blisters and reddening, are two species of Helleborus: Niger and H. Phoetidus, known as Christmas Rose and both highly decorative. The same occurs with nearly all the Rhus species, which are as decorative as they are poisonous, but which are not a very common sight in Spanish gardens.

Contact with Delphinium leaves, a plant that is very common in flowerbeds and flowerpots, also causes irritation, as does contact with chrysanthemum leaves.

There are other plants that provoke allergic reactions of varying degrees of intensity depending on the sensitivity of the affected skin. This occurs with many cupresacea and especially with Cupressocyparis leylandii, known as Leyland Cyprus, one of the plants most commonly used to form hedges. It also occurs with several varieties of Comus, shrubs that are above all grown for the beauty of their red and orange stems.

Gloves, an efficient remedy
In short, although these infections are rarely serious, they can be very unpleasant. It is thus important to always use gloves when gardening. And you should never forget to wash your hands after working with plants, so as to ensure that no remaining sap bothers you.