In almost every house, you can notice such a houseplant as ficus. There are many varieties of it in the world. At home, Benjamin's ficus and rubbery ficus mainly grow. Many plant owners are interested in whether ficus is poisonous or not.
What is this plant?
Is ficus poisonous or not? Ficus is a plant that has about 1000 species. They differ in the form of leaves, so they have other features. The birthplace of ficus is subtropics, and the plant itself is thermophilic and requires a lot of moisture.
The properties of plants are different. Rubber is produced from some types of ficus, while others contain up to 75% fructose and sucrose. The third type of ficus has found its application in medicine.
Ficus flowers are original, but at home it will not work to bloom.
Special properties of ficus
Is ficus poisonous? Despite the negative properties of the plant, it also has magical properties. This plant is planted in the house of a married woman who wants to give birth to a child, but cannot conceive it for some reason. For this event to happen faster, it is necessary for the husband to give the ficus to the girl. There are cases when a woman became pregnant immediately after the appearance of the plant in the apartment.
It is good to grow ficus at home, because it has a positive effect on the energy of the home. He is able to cleanse the house of anger, feelings, helps to find inner harmony and will assist in the correct resolution of life problems.
Ficus content
Ficus Benjamin poisonous or not? This will be discussed in the text below, and care for the ficus must be learned correctly.
Such a plant absolutely does not like change. If the ficus was originally put in a certain place where it grows well, then you should not rearrange it to another. In summer, ficus can be taken out under the open sky so that it begins to develop better, but then returned to its original place.
What the plant absolutely does not like is drafts. It needs to be located in well-lit places, so windows facing west or east are well suited for ficus.
A sign that the plant does not have enough light is a decrease in the number of leaves and their size.
The best temperature for him: in the summer - 25-30 degrees, in the winter - 15-20 degrees. It is not recommended to put ficus on a cold tile, window sill, in order to prevent cooling of the soil coma. He does not like plants and sudden changes in temperature.
Ficus Care
Is ficus poisonous or not? The answer to this question can be obtained below, but the plant does not require increased attention. Watering a plant depends on its age, development, soil in the pot, temperature and environmental conditions. There is no defined and constant watering schedule. Be sure to adjust to the light, temperature, season, and be sure to monitor the condition of the soil.
In summer, the plant is watered abundantly, but before that you need to make sure that the soil is dry. It is better to water the ficus from above, until excess fluid flows into the pan. After a quarter of an hour, the remaining water must be drained.
In winter, the plant is watered with care to prevent overflow. The optimum humidity for it is considered to be 70%, but it is not advisable to drop below 50%. Be sure to constantly spray the ficus, regardless of the season, and make him a warm shower. Water should be warm and soft so as not to leave stains on the leaves.
The dust that settles on the leaves should be cleaned regularly with a cloth from below and above. If you do not clean them, then the ficus will have difficulties with photosynthesis.
Dry leaves and twigs must be periodically removed from the plant.
Caring for ficus is not at all difficult, because it is very unpretentious.
The healing properties of ficus
Is ficus toxic to humans? Despite the poisonous properties of the plant, alcohol tinctures are widely used in folk medicine, rubbing from ficus is used for treatment.
A tincture made from a mixture of leaves and flowers of a plant can prevent the occurrence of a malignant tumor. She helps to reduce fibroids and fibroids.
In folk medicine, a tincture of ficus leaves is used to grind hardening during mastopathy.
With the help of useful substances that are contained in the plant, you can help with the occurrence of boils.
When coughing, the leaves of the ficus are boiled for 5 minutes and, smeared with honey, put on the back and chest, fixing with a towel.
Ficus is popular not only in medicine, it is not inferior to aloe in its properties. The plant has the ability to purify the air. Therefore, less dust accumulates in the room where it is located.
Rubber ficus can kill bacteria that appear in the air in a room.
Ficus - a poisonous plant or not?
With full confidence, it can be argued that ficus is a poisonous plant. It contains juice that resembles milk. It can not be tasted and even less drunk.
If it gets on the skin of the face, hands or stomach, the following reactions may occur:
- in the form of urticaria or continuous rashes;
- a person may experience itching and burning on the skin;
- in contact with the eyes, a burn of the cornea and, as a result, visual impairment can occur;
- if swallowed, signs of poisoning may appear: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and confusion.
The effect of the plant on young children, pregnant women and pets is especially dangerous.
If ficus leaves enter the body, it is necessary to wash it, give a sorbent and call an ambulance. If the juice has got on the skin of the face or eyes, it is necessary to wash it off with plenty of water.
If vision impairment occurs, then hospitalization may be necessary.
Ficus has such properties: in sunlight, it absorbs carbon dioxide, and emits oxygen. At night, the opposite happens, so it is not recommended to put the plant in the bedroom, and even more so in the nursery.
Can ficus cause allergies?
Is ficus poisonous or not? The plant is allergenic and may release rubber. These properties of ficus can adversely affect the health of asthmatics.
In people who have an increased sensitivity, asthma attacks, diarrhea, vomiting and swelling of the mucous membranes may occur.
According to studies, Benjamin's ficus ranks third as an allergen after dust mites and pet hair.
How to prevent ficus poisoning?
Is ficus poisonous to humans? In order for ficuses not to adversely affect human health, some rules should be followed when caring for them:
- It is imperative to take care of the plant with gloves. A transplant or pruning does not need to be entrusted to children or people with allergies.
- It is not recommended to install ficus in a room in a child or on the floor so that pets do not get it.
- If there is a person in the family suffering from various forms of allergies, it is better to refuse the plant in order to avoid complications.
If you properly care for ficus and observe precautions, then it will not harm the body of a person and his family.
Despite the existing negative qualities, ficus is a plant that is completely unpretentious in care. It does not like direct sunlight, frequent watering and temperature changes.
Ficus due to its negative properties must be carefully grown in a house where there are small children.