Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
4 ratings

Sunday - September 13, 2009

From: Ocala, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Itchy hands from handling Lantana plants
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am in Ocala,FL. I pick up with my hands branches from a cut down Lantana Plant. My hands are very itchy, what can I do. THANK YOU FOR YOU.

ANSWER:

Both the Poisonous Plants of North Carolina and the Botanical Dermatology Database list Lantana camara, native to Central and South America, as causing dermatitis as well as much more serious consequences if ingested.  You should definitely wear protective clothing (gloves, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, sock and shoes) when handling lantana since you are obviously sensitive to it.  To relieve the itchy skin, you should visit a pharmacy and ask a pharmacist to help you find some preparation that will counteract the itching.  If it persists, then you should see a dermatologist.

 

 

More Poisonous Plants Questions

Are any cherry trees poisonous from Clovis CA?
April 30, 2011 - Are there some cherry trees that are poisonous? if so, how do you identify them?
view the full question and answer

Broad leaved evergreens for DC
May 06, 2011 - We are looking for a flowering evergreen shrub, native to the mid-Atlantic, that grows in part shade but will tolerate full sun. We have been researching rhododendrons and azaleas but are concerned a...
view the full question and answer

Identification of shrub with red berries in Tennessee
January 24, 2014 - Hello, I've got a shrub in my backyard; it has leaves off in groups of 3 and it has multiple reddish berries in groups by the dozens. I'm not sure what plant it is. The shrub is stick-like and appr...
view the full question and answer

Ingestion of agave sap from Albuquerque NM
June 11, 2013 - My boyfriend was out in the Arizona desert without water for two days and sought moisture through what he thought was a yucca plant but instead we believe was agave. He sucked the moisture off the ins...
view the full question and answer

Poisonous plants of Texas Bays and Estuaries
February 24, 2011 - What is a poisonous native plants of the Bay and Estuary system in Southeast Texas?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.