Like almost all conifers, the blue cypress, a subspecies of the cypress family, is poisonous in all parts of the plant. Therefore, only plant the decorative blue cypresses out of the reach of children and pets.
All parts of the blue cypress plant are poisonous
The blue cypress is poisonous
All parts of the blue cypress - bark, leaves and cones - are poisonous. They contain:
- thujene
- pinene
- other terpenes
The essential oils can cause skin irritation even if they come into contact with the skin. If parts of the plant are swallowed, symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting occur.
Do not plant in gardens with children or pets
If children and animals are part of the household, you should refrain from planting blue cypresses to be on the safe side.
Grazing animals such as cattle, horses or sheep are also endangered by blue cypresses. Therefore, always keep a sufficient planting distance to pastures.
tips
Blue cypresses (bot. Chamaecyparis) can hardly be distinguished externally from real cypresses (bot. Cupressus). The main distinguishing features are the slightly flattened branches, smaller cones and earlier seed ripening.