The Yellow Jessamine Garden Club monthly meeting was held on March 4th at the home of Ms. Frances Tyler. President Mary Ricks welcomed all who attended and thanked our hostess for having us. Members recited the pledge to the Garden Club of SC and read the creed. Ms. Glenda Campbell presented a short devotion from the book of John on spending time with God in prayer.
We enjoyed a delightful array of refreshments provided by our host, Ms. Tyler, and afterwards learned about a few varieties of poisonous plants found in South Carolina.
Ms. Cathy McDaniel led our lesson. She began by saying that some of the most poisonous plants for our area include poison sumac, hemlock, water hemlock, stinging nettle, poison ivy, and poison oak. Ms. McDaniel continued with descriptions of each plant and some outcomes if the plants are ingested or touched.
1) Poison sumac contains a high concentration of urushiol toxin making every part of the plant dangerous. Poisonous can be found near wet areas such as marshes, bogs, and wet woodland areas and can grow up to twenty feet tall. Poison sumac has leaves made up of seven to thirteen leaflets, a red stem and white odd-shaped berries, and symptoms are worse than those caused by poison ivy or oak. Identifying poison sumac can be difficult because each season brings changes in color; however, one thing that does not change is the color of the stems. The stems are always red.
2) Hemlock is not only toxic to humans but to animals as well. Poison hemlock is an invasive plant and is not easy to identify as it resembles other non-toxic plants. This plant has deep green compound leaves that taper into a single tip. The beautiful flowering clusters are usually white but can also be pink. These little umbrella-like flowers resemble Queen Anne’s lace.
3) Water hemlock is toxic to humans and animals alike. Water hemlock usually grows in watery areas such as rivers, streams, ponds, swamps, or marshes. It has gained a reputation of being the deadliest plant in North America. Within 15 minutes of ingesting any part of this plant death can occur. People have mistaken water
hemlock for edible plants like artichokes, celery, sweet anise, or wild parsnips. This plant can grow up to six feet tall and have a variety of color patterns.
4) Stinging nettle is another toxic plant found in South Carolina alongside streams, trails, farmland, or anywhere the ground has been disturbed. Nettles can grow up to eight feet tall and leaves are covered with stinging hairs called trichomes. When touched they inject histamines and other chemicals that cause stinging inflammation on the skin. This can lead to an allergic reaction resulting in hospitalization or even death.
5) Poison ivy thrives in soil that has been disturbed and can grow virtually anywhere. It grows in all states except for Hawaii, California, and Alaska. Leaves of three, let them be is a general rule for this plant. It can grow as ground cover or into a woody vine that wraps around a tree, appearing to be a part of the tree itself. Poison ivy does not have a standard shape or size but can vary which makes it more difficult to identify. Touching poison ivy can cause a serious skin rash. Approximately 85% of people are allergic to the urushiol chemical found in the leaves and 15% are highly allergic. Poison ivy is mildly toxic to pets, but their fur usually protects them from skin irritation, however, the toxin can rub off on human skin if the animal is not bathed.
6) Poison oak, like poison ivy, contains urushiol that can cause a painful skin irritation should a person brush up against its leaves. Poison oak is a shrub native to the eastern United States and grows in drier areas of forests or wooded areas. It is not actually a member of the oak family even though the leaves resemble those of an oak tree. The leaves form in a pattern of threes and usually grow close to the ground. Upon completing the lesson, minutes were read by Mrs. Betty Hubbard and approved by members. Ms. Glenda Campbell named the daffodil as flower of the month. Ms. Campbell mentioned that the daffodil is an easy flower to grow as it thrives in climates with an early spring. The daffodil belongs to the narcissus genus of the amaryllis family and is a perennial bulb producing yellow blossoms with trumpet-shaped cups. Other colored varieties include white, orange, or pink. Committee reports were then given, projects were discussed, and the meeting was adjourned.
The Yellow Jessamine Garden Club of Dillon is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., South Atlantic Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc., The Garden, Club of South Carolina, Inc., and Coastal District of the Garden Club of South Carolina, Inc.
