Hydrangea
General poisoning notes:
Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is an outdoor ornamental that is grown in the warmer parts of Canada. This plant has poisoned humans after they ingested the flower buds. Sensitive individuals can develop dermatitis after exposure to hydrangea. Older case reports of poisoning of horses and cattle appear in the literature, but no recent reports are available (Apted 1973, Bruynzeel 1986, Fuller and McClintock 1986).
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.
Vernacular name(s): hydrangea
Scientific family name: Saxifragaceae
Vernacular family name: saxifrage
Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.
Geographic Information
Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.
Toxic parts:
Flower buds, leaves.
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Hydragin, a cyanogenetic glycoside, is presumed to be responsible for toxicity because it can release hydrocyanic acid upon hydrolysis. Der Marderosian and Roia (1976) administered 3 g of plant extract intraperitoneally, in 10 mL of liquid suspension per 100 g of body weight. All rats died when given extracts from hydrangea flowers and leaves. No mice died when orally fed 100 mg of flower material per 35 g body weight.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Hydragin
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of poisoning:
Abdominal pains, breathing, labored, diarrhea.
Horses
General symptoms of poisoning:
Diarrhea.
Notes on poisoning:
A horse that ingested hydrangea experienced contraction of the abdominal muscles, diarrhea, and stiffness of limbs (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
Humans
General symptoms of poisoning:
Abdominal pains, coma, diarrhea, erythema, gastroenteritis, lethargy, vomiting.
Notes on poisoning:
Ingesting hydrangea flower buds has resulted in poisoning (Fuller and McClintock 1986).
