Strictly speaking, the spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura) is not a species of palm, but rather a species of Euphorbia that, as the name suggests, can hurl its seeds far away like the Indian balsam. As a houseplant, a spit palm is quite decorative, but not entirely harmless.
The sap of the spit palm is poisonous
Beware of the white milky juice
The poisonous milky sap of the spit palm is clearly visible when the leaves or stem are injured and contains the following ingredients, among others:
- ingenols
- diterpene ester
- phorbol ester
- triterpene saponins
The euphorbia juice is not only toxic, but can even have a cancer-promoting effect due to the tumor promoters it contains.
Precautions without panic
The toxicity of the milky sap should not fundamentally speak against a culture of the spurge plants on the windowsill. With proper handling and adequate ventilation, these plants pose no more of a threat than many other toxic house and garden plants. However, you should choose the location very consciously or be very attentive if children or free-roaming pets are regularly in a room.
tips
Although the mere touch of a spit palm usually does not cause any discomfort, protective gloves should be worn as a precautionary measure for all care measures on the spit palm.