Welcome to my blog. My name is Sarah, and right now, I can see my favourite tree from my window. A few years ago, it was ailing, but I learned everything I could about tree health and nurtured her back to abundance. In this blog, I plan to write all about tree care, from the basics you can do on your own to knowing when to call a professional. My love of trees grew out of my love for gardening and landscaping, and I may write about those topics as well. I hope that you like my blog and that it inspires you. Thanks for reading!
Learn to Embrace Tree Service: A Tree Blog
3 Species Of Tree You Should Keep Your Toddler Away From
Diana Jones
If you have trees in your garden, make sure you know what species they are. Some trees are poisonous, and this can put curious toddlers at risk when playing in the garden. Here's an overview of three species of tree you should keep your toddler away from:
Eucalyptus
The leaves and bark of the eucalyptus tree can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, which can quickly cause dehydration in young children. It's unlikely your child will ingest a large quantity, but it's worth knowing that eating a large quantity of eucalyptus leaves can cause a child to fall into a coma. This evergreen tree can be identified by its long, pointed leaves and flaky bark. The flowers have a number of stamens in place of petals, and the stamens can be white or pink.
Horse Chestnut
Horse chestnuts are easy to confuse with sweet chestnuts, but the leaves and fruit of the horse chestnut tree are poisonous. Ingestion can cause vomiting and a temporary loss of co-ordination. Horse chestnut trees can be identified by their grey bark, which has smooth flakes. They have compound leaves, with each stalk having at least five leaflets. The small white flowers grow in spikes, and the fruit is encased in a spiked shell.
Yew
All parts of the yew tree are toxic due to the presence of the alkaloid taxine. Ingestion of even a small amount of this alkaloid can cause muscle tremors, breathing difficulties and cardiac arrest. Yew trees have distinct red berries that stay open at the end. The bark is brown with red hues, and the leaves are needle-like in appearance.
If you have children, you should consider removing poisonous trees from your garden. Even if the tree is large, it can be safely removed from residential properties without risk of damage to your home or your neighbour's property. A technique called lopping is used to remove the large side branches, and the tree crown is then cut down in manageable sections. The stump can be burned, or a stump grinder can be used to take the stump to below ground level. Chemical stump removers are available, and these cause stumps to decompose, but children need to be kept away from the stump until treatment is complete.
If you're not sure what species of tree you have in your garden, have a tree surgeon come to your property and identify the trees for you.
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