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Thorny Emergency Poses Puncture Problem

March 24, 2010

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Plant Information

Spines

 

Q. I came in contact with a cactus while working. I was punctured by it and need to know if I  should be concerned. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

A. Yes, you should be concerned. Besides the formidable tissue damage that a spine entering  your body can do, puncture wounds from plant spines can cause other problems as well. Spines  such as those found on cactus, bougainvilleas, roses and other ‘armed’ plants can carry soil  born bacteria like tetanus etc. If your wound is deep (has gone past the skin ) you should  take the same precautions as you would any dirty puncture wound -see a doctor immediately or go  to an emergency room. Cactus-like plants with spines such as the Euphorbia may also contain  irritating chemicals and can be quite painful for a period of time afterwards, and spine wounds  from certain species of Agave can cause a painful swelling in some individuals that can last  weeks.

So if your wound has broken the skin, please, see a physician immediately and pay attention to  when you last had a tetanus shot. Deep cactus spine punctures are considered 'dirty wounds' and  if you have not had tetanus shot within 5 years it's a good idea to have a booster within 72  hours of receiving the wound.

When dealing with spiny plants it’s best to take several precautions. Plants with large spines  can enter your boots and pierce your feet, so when you are trimming them remember to place the  trimmings in a discreet pile that you can avoid walking on, wear boots with thick soles, and  wear thick, long sleeved shirts, gloves, and goggles. Garden centers carry long sleeved leather  gloves for pruning roses. It’s a real bad idea to trim spiny bushes or palm trees with a chain  saw, as the chain can catch a spiny branch and whip it into your face (if you insist on doing  this besides the clothing mentioned above wear a helmet with a full face, clear snap down  visor, although your neck will still be vulnerable; it would also be a good idea to take out  life insurance -using a chain saw to prune anything but large, woody branches over 3 inches thick is a real bad  idea).

Trimming and handling cactus is best done with the cactus parts to be handled or trimmed  wrapped first in thick cardboard or layers of newspaper wrapped around the stems so that the  wrapping material remains until the procedure is through. Large cactus should be trimmed with a  hand-saw. If you are moving or transplanting a cactus wrap it in a sheet or sheets of box  cardboard and use duct tape to keep the cardboard from unwrapping . Fit the cardboard so that it  has a taper below the main part of the cactus so that it does not slip out of the cardboard  sleeve when you move the cactus. You may also use tie-down straps to secure the wrapped cactus and provide a  grip for handling the plant. Wrapping the cactus in carpet will work as well as tying it up with old garden hose.

Sources

Nissl, Jan,  "Puncture Wounds" University of Michigan Health System Healthwise Knowledgebase, 1998

Cooperative Extension University of California Environmental Toxicology Newsletter, v. 3, no. 1, September 1982

 McLaughlin, John,  "Caution These Plants Might Rub You The Wrong Way," University of Florida IFAS Extension, Urban Horticulture, 2009"

Baker, David E. & Bruce E. Cutter, Basic Chain Saw Safety and Use, University of Missouri Extension, 1998.

Kelly, Jack, "How to Transplant a Cactus", University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, 2005

What’s Blooming: Sweet Gum’s Bittersweet Horticultural Legacy

December 14, 2009

What's Blooming

 

On the south side of the creek that meanders through the Arboretum’s Meadowbrook section three tall, upright trees can be seen right now covered in brightly colored fall foliage. Commonly called "Sweet gum," Liquidambar styraciflua, is native to Central America, Mexico, and the Southeastern United States where it is a significant percentage of newly regenerated hardwood forests. Liquidambar grows rapidly in regenerating forests because it has the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. 

Liquidambar’s name derives from the liquid, amber-colored, resin the tree produces to protect itself from insect attack. This resin has been used by Native Americans in Mexico and North America as a chewing gum and as a medicine for healing wounds. The Aztecs were even more creative with the gum, using it as ceremonial incense and adding it to smoking tobacco to create a potent sleep-aide.

Liquidambar wood is beautiful; polished cross sections reveal red heartwood surrounded by a contrasting band of bright white sapwood. Unfortunately the moisture content of the wood and its poor durability make it almost impossible to work with; items made from the wood warp and wear out rapidly. Furniture makers can still exploit the Liquidmabar wood’s natural beauty by applying it as a veneer to furniture constructed of more durable but less beautiful woods like pine.

During the late 1970’s and throughout the 1980’s, Liquidambar styraciflua was an extremely popular landscaping and street tree. Three varieties introduced in the late 50’s and early 60’s by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation in Palo Alto came to dominate the California urban landscape because of their pleasing forms and reliable fall coloration. ‘Palo Alto’ has orange and red fall leaves, ‘Festival’ has a confetti-like combination of red, yellow and pink, and ‘Burgundy’ is a variety that reliably turns a dark red here in late fall. These are the varieties planted along the stream in the Meadowbrook section.

Liquidambar styraciflua

For a while Liquidambar seemed like the perfect tree for California; a deciduous tree that seemed to thrive here and gave migrants from the east coast a taste of the colorful fall display of leaves they were used to back home. It was also fast grower that didn’t get out of bounds (cultivated Liquidambar rarely get over 60-70 feet tall) and a tree that seemed to thrive anywhere because of its nitrogen fixing abilities. But when the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation introduced the trees they paid little attention to a characteristic of the tree that would later create what could be termed a horticultural disaster.

As Liquidambar matures its nature changes; the trees develop a propensity to form damaging surface roots and their production of spiny seed-balls increases. This makes mature Liquidambars quite a nuisance and liability; a fact that many property owners and cities would become painfully aware of after removing tens of thousands the trees and repairing the expensive damage caused by them to nearby structures.  A study published in Western Arborist that surveyed tree damage in several Southern California cities found that the ubiquitously planted Liquidambar accounted for the greatest number of trees causing damage. In the city of Alameda it was found that 69% of the Liquidambars planted in that city were damaging or starting to damage structures.

Currently Liquidambar styraciflua is not the easy landscape choice it used to be, but it still has advantages in some situations; it is now recommended that the trees be planted in locations that are at least 15-20 feet from any structures, and in areas where their copious production of spiny seed balls is not a problem. They should never be planted as street trees.

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