When was the last time you met someone who didn’t tell you they were “crazy busy”? It seems like everyone these days is overwhelmed. From the endless tasks of maintaining home and family life to the ever-accelerating pressures of the endlessly troubled, endlessly competitive economy, it seems that all of us are running ragged.
In this permanent state of hyperventilation, if there’s one place we go above all others when we need to relax… it’s the forest! You could say we were lovers of forest bathing before that was even a thing!
Walking between the green plants is almost meditative and something we try to do at least once a week. It’s pretty much the antidote to stress, and we always come out happier than we went in.
There are lots of reasons to take a walk in the forest. To get away from it all, clear your head, smell the fresh air.
As we walked, we slowly appreciated the beauty around us. A walk in the forest has a lot more to offer than simply some good exercise while being surrounded by cool trees.
And while as you expect to see great views in the forest, you probably even expect to meet other hikers or bikers. However, People might not be aware of the deadly hazards in the woods that could actually kill them, as we experienced “being alive” in the midst of the crushing urgencies that make up modern life, we don’t truly consider the threats that we may encounter when we go on our regular trek in the woods.
There are some plants in the woods near you that could be hazardous to people’s and pets’ health. Naturally, some plants grow with poisons and toxins within them. Many of these plants are brightly colored and appear to be harmless, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. These poisonous plants are commonly found in the woods. Noticing can take many forms. It’s important to be able to recognize them.
Being safe and ready for any eventuality are the greatest ways to enjoy your time in forests. These are only a few of the precautions you can take and the situations you can encounter. Be like a Scout, be ready for everything. Make sure others are aware of your destination, whether you’re traveling alone or with a companion, and the circumstances for which you should be ready.
Here are some of the Poisonous Plants that you might not want to encounter:
Angel’s Trumpet Plant is neither a slice of heaven nor a musical instrument but this beautiful, bell-shaped flower is ready to send you straight to the hospital!
The angel’s trumpet plant (of the species Brugmansia) produces a beautiful bell-shaped blossom that is ideal for a charming garden, however, the plant has a horrible secret. It is deadly. Eating the flower will, at best, cause horrifying hallucinations, but at worst, it could kill you. We shouldn’t have to remind you, but we will anyway: Don’t eat these flowers. According to The Guardian, “the hallucinogenic wildflower known as Angel’s Trumpet, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK, has been linked to many deaths in America.” It’s so dangerous that even if you were to just touch it, it could lead you to a hospital bed.
White snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum Houtt) has been known to cause trembles in animals and milk sickness in humans since the American Revolution. Early settlers gave the plant the name “white snakeroot” because they thought it would be useful in curing snakebite, but in reality, it is extremely toxic and can make people sick who consume milk or meat from cows that have consumed the plant.
The leaves and the stems of white snakeroot are extremely poisonous. This is due to the toxin tremetol, unsaturated alcohol with a consistency and odor resembling turpentine. The toxin is more potent in fresh green plants but can remain, to a lesser degree, even after a hard frost.
Cattle and horses will turn to eat any available plants, including white snakeroot if grazing areas have insufficient grass cover. Once ingested, both cattle and horses exhibit symptoms of weakness, loss of appetite, seizures, and severe trembling, which frequently result in death. Additionally, breastfeeding cows can transmit the contaminated milk to both calves and people through their milk, which can result in extreme lethargy, tremors, vomiting, psychosis, and ultimately death.
Foxglove is an attractive plant that grows throughout the United States. It grows in the wild and is cultivated in private gardens for its beauty. Its bell-shaped flowers are usually bright purple but can sometimes be white, cream yellow, pink, or rose and generally bloom in the spring.
While it’s very beautiful with its trumpet-like blossoms but is very poisonous to dogs, cats, and even humans! Cardenolides and bufadienolides, two naturally occurring toxins that have a negative impact on the heart, can be found in foxglove. These toxins, also known as cardiac glycoside toxins, have a direct negative impact on the electrolyte balance in the heart muscle.
This can cause the heart rate to slow down or become irregular. Both can be dangerous and life-threatening.
Rosary peas (Abrus precatorius beans) are shiny, scarlet-red seeds with a black spot. Other, less frequent variations can have black eyes on white seeds or white eyes on black seeds.
These plants are native to Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific region but have been introduced to other locations including Florida and Hawaii.
This may commonly use in ornamental bracelets, jewelry, and children’s toys made outside of the US but the entire . A precatorius plant contains a protein (also known as a toxalbumin) called abrin, which is considered highly toxic to humans. Abrin causes toxicity through cell death.
Most cases of human exposure to abrin come from eating. It is considered potentially dangerous. Symptoms typically begin within a few hours after ingestion but can be delayed for up to 5 days. Typical symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea that can worsen and become bloody. Patients might also experience a fast heart rate, headache, hallucinations, lethargy, seizures, fever, and organ failure.
Water hemlock is poisonous in all forms and can be fatal in as little as 15 minutes.
In marshy, swampy parts of meadows as well as along the banks of streams, pools, and rivers, water hemlock grows. Water hemlock is frequently mistaken for food plants like artichokes, celery, sweet potatoes, sweet anise, or wild parsnip, which leads to accidental poisonings. In North America, water hemlock is thought to be the most poisonous plant.
Following ingestion, it is most likely that the patient would undergo CNS stimulatory effects, such as seizures, which, in the absence of aggressive supportive care, can be fatal. Other characteristics include tachycardia, mydriasis, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, coma, respiratory impairment, cardiac dysrhythmias, and nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you want to rebuild your inner self and the best place to begin is with a walk in the woods, always be mindful of your surroundings. Refining our capacity to notice is an act of reverence that we can bring to everywhere and every when to avoid dangerous things ahead.
Sources: Awm, Naturalresources, Theguardian