Welcome to this post about whether or not eucalyptus leaves will be toxic to humans. Unfortunately, the leaves of the tree will be poisonous if you consume them. But the leaves do contain some good stuff.
The natural oils that are present in them are very useful to apply for antifungal and antiseptic purposes. But we would recommend not eating any of the leaves of the eucalyptus tree you have at home growing.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the most common questions that come up with growing eucalyptus and wanting to try the leaves.
Are Eucalyptus Leaves Poisonous To Humans
Just like we said at the beginning of this article, the leaves of the eucalyptus tree are not a good idea to consume. They will not bring any beneficial properties just consumed on their own.
Instead, the best thing you can get from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree is the natural oils present in the leaves. This is widely used to scent both candles and shampoo.
In soap and shampoo, they serve the important purpose of being both antifungal and antiseptic. This is probably the best way of making use of the eucalyptus leaves.
But there are other ways you can use the eucalyptus tree without consuming the leaves. We like to take cuttings from the tree and use them for decoration in the house. They are beautiful wherever they are placed.
But there is the best time of the year to be taking cuttings. In the early summer when the leaves are at their most fragrant, we think it is a perfect time. They are both beautiful, fresh, and aromatic.
Place them in a vase with some water and leave them in a sunny spot. If you keep them like this they will keep good for almost 3 weeks before starting to wilt. A perfect way of taking cuttings from a tree that normally grows very very quickly.
Are you curious about the disadvantages of growing eucalyptus? In this article right here we’ll be discussing that, Eucalyptus Disadvantages.
How Much Eucalyptus Leaves Is Toxic
With eucalyptus we need to be careful as just a small amount, less than a teaspoon of the natural oil present in the leaves can turn out to be fatal. But thankfully it’s pretty hard to get a hold of these oils as they are reserved for the beauty industry where they see use in candles and soap.
So for the amount of eucalyptus needed for it to turn out to be toxic, it’s very small. So we recommend not nibbling or trying to eat any leaves if you have a tree at home growing.
Instead, you can take cuttings from the tree and use them for decoration in the house. The tree grows very quickly so you can probably take a lot more cuttings than you would think.
If you would like to learn more about eucalyptus and the impact it has on the environment then we have the perfect article for you. Find it here, Eucalyptus Tree Harmful For Environment.
Can I Boil Eucalyptus Leaves And Drink It
You can boil water with eucalyptus leaves and then drink it. But we recommend not drinking a lot of it at a time. Since we have established here that the leaves are poisonous limiting it would be a good idea.
Make sure that you really boil the water for at least a few minutes to kill off the toxins in the leaves. This water will help with sore throats and inhaling the fumes can help with respiratory problems.
Eucalyptus is a very special tree that sees several uses. The natural oils are incredibly toxic if you consume them, but in soap and shampoo, they serve the purpose of being antifungal and antiseptic.
