A recent piece by Justine Picard focused on how the firestick plant affects animals. A reader, Marliyn Spiegel of Agoura Hills, responded to note that the plant can pose serious risks to people as well.
According to the reader, contact with even a small amount of the plant’s sap can cause the same reaction on human skin as it does on animals. If the sap gets into an eye, it can lead to blindness unless it is treated immediately.
The reader advised taking precautions when pruning these plants: wear heavy, long gardening gloves, avoid touching your face until the gloves are removed, and then wash your hands thoroughly.
This is a plain-language summary written for The Block. Read the original article for full details.
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