Recently, a lot of questions came to our editorial e-mail aboutwhether thujas are poisonousPeople with gardeners expressed considerable concern. The reason was probably information that was published some time ago on the Internet and YouTube videos, the authors of whichcriticized thujas and warned about their poisonous propertiesI decided to refer to these shocking reports, reassure you and a bit look more objectively at possiblepoisonous properties of tui
Is thuja poisonous?
Fig. depositphotos.com
Poisonous properties of tui
Thuja, whose full, correct name is Thuja occidentalis, are plants that are massively planted in gardens. Mainly hedged varieties, i.e. the fast-growing thuja Brabant, ideal for cut hedges, and the emerald thuja that do not require pruning but grow a little slower, have gained popularity. There are also very common varieties that retain a naturally spherical shape, such as thuja Danica.
What is so poisonous in these popular plants?It's about thujone contained in thujasIt is a terpene compound that negatively affects the nervous system. Excessive consumption of it causes anxiety and high irritability.Thujone poisoning leads to states of excitement and psychosisMany people have experienced this type of symptom in the past who consumed an alcohol called absinthe. This alcohol contained thujone, but not from thuja, but from mugwort.
In the information about the poisonous properties of thuja there is therefore a grain of truthbut… no one eats thuja! In our gardens it is a purely ornamental plant. And thujone is only poisonous when consumed in excessive amounts.
Is planting thuja in the garden safe?
Thuja planted as ornamental plants in the garden are safe for our he alth . Don't be fooled by people who only want to make a sensation and try to gain popularity in this way, e.g. for your YouTube channel.
If you look at other ornamental plants in our gardens, many of them are poisonous after consumption . That is why we only grow them as ornamental and not edible.
I think thatopponents of thuja chose this plant as an enemy because it is very popularAmong lesser-known ornamental plants one could find much more dangerous specimens. And no one warns against them, because it would not gain popularity for the person spreading such news.
A good example - the common yew - its beautiful red fruits are highly poisonous when eaten. So are the twigs, needles, and any other parts of the plant.But no one is making a scandal out of it. And it happens that children interested in tiny red balls on yew trees decide to swallow them … I thinkis more dangerous than thuja, which is unlikely to have anything attractive to children
Another example is evergreen boxwood, whichtwigs, leaves, and fruit are also poisonous when consumedMeanwhile, many people put boxwood into Easter baskets with their food. Fortunately, there is nothing wrong with this as long as boxwood is not in direct contact with the food, i.e. it should not be put directly on the sausage or egg peeled from its shell. Just let it be somehow separate from what we eat.
It is also worth knowing thatthujone contained in thujas is also found in herbal plants , used for medicinal purposes, such as the aforementioned mugwort, but also in sage or tansy. These herbs are not poisonous, as long as they are of course used in moderation without overdosing.Anything that is good can be harmful when overdosed.
And it's the same with thujas. Planted as ornamental plants in the garden, they do not harm. Just looking at them or being close to the thuja does not cause any dangerous symptoms.Thujas in the garden are not dangerous, as long as we do not eat them or are not allergic to thujonePeople who are allergic may have a rash after rubbing thuja twigs (that's why I recommend always wearing gloves when trimming the thuja). But many other plants can also sensitize us.
Personally, I like them (I love conifers in general, especially our native pines), but that's a matter of taste.I understand people who do not like itAnd it can really be offended by the excess of them in our landscape. But these are only aesthetic considerations. Everyone has the right to plant what they like in the garden :-).
Good to knowCut twigs of thuja (e.g. after trimming a hedge) should not be thrown into a composter, because the thujone contained in them slows down the composting processes.Similarly to the tannins contained in the leaves of our native oak. Oak leaves should also not be composted. In this respect, thuja falls out similarly to the Polish oak, beloved by enemies.
Rafał Okułowicz
