Anyone had health problems after pruning Buddleia?
Citylady33
Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi - my sister and I spent a couple of hours yesterday cutting back a rather large Buddleia in our front garden and since then we have both had sore throats and feel like the start of a cough. I've never heard of Buddleia being poisonous and wondered if anyone else had experienced similar symptoms?
0
Posts
Pruned a lot over the years and never had a sore throat after doing it. Some plants can do funny things like that. I've done gardens at the Chelsea flower show before and the pollen from the plane trees there really irritate your throat and make you cough, it's even called the 'Chelsea cough'! www.alisonpike.com/blog/
Thanks for that. I've searched on Google but nothing about Buddleia causing problems either so maybe it's just a coincidence that I've got a bad throat at the same time!
Not with buddleia, but I've had it with crocosmia. I cut a load back and chopped up the leaves to go in the compost. When I got back inside I had difficulty in breathing for about an hour. Just as I was thinking I ought to call an ambulance, it stopped as soon as it started. So if you're susceptible to plant allergies you may want to be cautious around crocosmias too.
Whenever I prune a Buddleia it always makes me sneeze, nose runs and end up coughing. Likewise my husband, so there's obviously something that is released when you cut it.
Aspley1
I always where a mask when pruning Buddleia. If not, almost immediately I get a tickle in the throat which gradually gets worse. It's the only shrub/ plant in the garden which has this affect on me.
Thanks guys for all your responses. It's interesting to know that it's affected other people in a similar way to me. It took days for the effects to wear off after I pruned the beast and I won't be letting it get so big again, that's for sure
yes i too have allergic response when pruning a buddleia. iain c
Janice Stapleton
I brushed against branches of a buddleia when accessing my water butt-I have a large swelling plus a circle of bright red above on my arm -could it have caused this
Anyone can be allergic to anything Polly. A red swollen circle sounds more like an insect bite though
In the sticks near Peterborough
It's the fuzz on the leaves of the buddliea and plane trees. Both my husband and I reacted badly when pruning buddliea but now i am on my own, I have just pruned back the plane tree and honestly thought i was going to die. I choked and dry retched for about 15 mins. Not nice when you are on your own. It's definately the fuzz on the leaves, gets into your throat. Will be wearing a mask in future!