To Kelly, and any other worried ferret owned people.  I just want to give
my credentials up front so no one will wonder what makes me such an
"expert".  I got my BS in Horticulture.  I took many classes on specific
plants, but loved the interior plants class best.  I knew that is what I
wanted to do and have been working with interior plants for the past four
years.  With that out of the way, I have to say that many well meaning
people and organizations panic plant owners into thinking they have living
death organizims in their common houseplants.  For the most part this is
not true.
 
Considering that most plants, indoor or outdoor, that are considered
poisonous have such low levels of toxins that a person or animal could eat
their own body weight in the plants before getting sick, I'd say that with
few exceptions, you have nothing to worry about.  NOT that plants cannot be
toxic, but that the amounts of toxins present in most plants are way lower
than the plant patrol people would make it seem.  I know a teacher who was
ordered to take her plants home from school because her 3rd graders might
eat them and get sick.  They weren't even on the banned plant list, but they
LOOKED like a plant that was on the list.  And please, if a kid is still
eating things he shouldn't by this age, something is wrong.
 
I hope I wasn't too preachy, but ignorance and hysteria annoy me.  I am NOT
referring to you, Kelly.  You did the right thing in asking.  If it is just
regular ivy, you have no problem.  Even if it is philodendron, or pothos,
two other popular trailing plants, I wouldn't worry.  They probably don't
really want to eat it and what little they do shouldn't hurt them in the
least.  I used to have several nice diffenbachias, or dumb canes.  Though my
ferts never ate any of my plants,(just exploded the dirt from under them), I
felt I should get rid of them just in case it ever occurred to them to do
so.  This is the only plant I would REALLY worry about.  As the common name
implies, it will swell the tougue, making speech, drinking and eating very
difficult.  This toxin is there in a bad way.  I even get a numb, stingy
sensation in my hands when I propagate the stuff.  Thought I HAD to mention
that plant for my FML pals.
 
I love my plants, and hate to have them dug up, but the ferrets have such
fun doing it and they look so cute when they are guilty.  Not that I have
ever sacrificed my plants for the amusement of my pets.  I like my plants
too much.
 
Hope I was helpful and didn't ramble too long.
 
Dani
[Posted in FML issue 1704]