Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Why are companies who sell house plants not required to place a warning on the containers?
QUESTION:
Recently a good friend of mine had to bring her cat to the vet. After a $200
bill they discovered she was very ill due to a poisonous house plant.
Why are companies who sell house plants not required to place a warning on
the containers?
ANSWER:
Good question. One of the reason that both outdoor and indoor ornamentals stay
green, attractive and relatively pest free is that they have chemical defenses.
Very few are edible.
My question is why does an obligate carnivore like a cat insist on eating house
plants? But they do.
QUESTION:
Is there anything the concerned house plant buyers can do to get those simple
warning labels on the dangerous plants.
ANSWER:
I assume all house and ornamental plants are poison unless there is a label that
says "Eat me".