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Petunias are slightly poisonous
Petunias: poisonous or not?
Many gardeners and balcony owners appreciate the petunia because of its many different blooming varieties and the extremely long flowering period from spring to the first frost. However, attention should be paid to a certain toxicity of the green plant parts.
Petunias as a risk to humans
In principle, the petunia's green plant parts should not be a great lure for consumption by adults and children, because on the one hand they taste ghastly and on the other hand they scratch terribly in the throat due to the sticky hairiness with trichomes. However, these nightshade plants also contain a certain amount of toxic solanine, the content being below that of potato plants. Even if the contact of the plants causes no symptoms of intoxication, children should be advised of the effect of the consumption which is triggered by a low dose of nausea. Unlike nasturtium or other garden plants that are suitable for consumption, petunia is not edible.
Beware of pets
As a rule, pets and cats are automatically deterred by the smell of petunia. Home cats and rabbits with little access to fresh green fodder can still be tempted to nibble on the petunias on the balcony. In the worst case this can lead to diarrhea and poisoning symptoms. If there is a realistic danger, you can switch to non-toxic alternatives for balcony planting:
Tips
Like many other attractive flowering plants in the garden and on the balcony, petunias are not suitable for consumption. Nevertheless, one should not panic given the amount of Solanin contained. For small children in the home, it is sometimes appropriate to use them with a very careful handling of unknown plants, so that it can not endanger the large number of potentially dangerous plants in and around the house.