Can Toxic Plants Be Used for Good?
Despite all the bad rap we just gave toxic plants, they have a lot of really great uses!
Medicine
Foxgloves contain the compound digoxin. As you already know, this toxin affects the heartbeat, causing it to slow. Doctors and scientists have taken this toxin and formed a drug. The drug is known as digitalis. This drug helps people who have a failing heart. The controlled dosage of digoxin will actually help the heart instead of hinder it. When taking this medication the heart will beat stronger, allowing the patient to live a more ordinary life.
There are plenty of plants that are used similarly. The dosages of toxic compounds in their tissue is too much for us humans to handle, but when extracted by a specialist and then packaged in the right dose, they becomes medicine. This is one reason why people can overdose easily on certain medications. The medicine is created using a compound that is toxic above a certain threshold.
Agriculture
Toxic plants are used all the time in agriculture. That may come as a surprise to us, but the plants that we use are usually not toxic to us humans. In fact, we have even genetically modified some crops to produce toxins that will kill insects that attempt to feed on their foliage.
Genetically modified corn and cotton are famous for this. Scientists were able to find a certain toxin created by a bacteria called bacillus thuringiensis. This toxin is able to enter into and disintegrate insect larvaes’ stomachs. The bugs meet a gruesome, effective death by starvation. Scientists took the gene that was found in this bacteria and placed it into corn and cotton plants. This helped those crops protect themselves from pesky insects.
In addition, plants can be planted together to deter predators. For example, garlic can be planted near more delicate crops to deter insects. The smell and toxicity of the garlic will repel insects such as aphids.
Beauty
Some plants, like daffodils, are grown to be seen rather than to be eaten. We invite a lot of beautiful plants into our spaces because their appearance is heartwarming.
We indeed need to be cautious around them, but well-informed humans find these plants to be harmless. Luckily, plants generally don’t jump out at you and inject their poison, meaning as long as you are aware how to interact with them you should be fine observing their beauty.
Wildlife
While some plants can be just as toxic to us as they can be to other animals, many of our wild friends can benefit from these toxic plants. For example, the rhododendron, with its hundreds of flowers, invites bees from all around the area, and while they are already there the bees may stop and visit your garden.
Some of the berries that we can’t eat can be eaten by birds. You can plant a chokecherry tree and let the birds snack on its fruits. This can often keep birds away from your other produce and be a fun spot to set up a chair for bird watching.