Don’s Expert Answers: Medical Problem

Question From: 
Agnes Hall in  Langwarrin,  Melbourne VIC

 

Nature of problem: 
Medical Problem

 

Type of Plant (if known): 
Diosma, white flowers.

 

Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself): 
None

 

Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type: 
It is Topsoil with Clay

 

How often do you water the plant:
Never. Only the rainwater.

 

How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
I’m not sure.

 

What type of plant is it:
Diosma

 

How long since you planted it:
Has been here since the house was built, I presume. We are Renting.

 

Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
No

 

Is the plant indoors or outdoors: 
Outdoors

 

Is the plant in a pot or in the ground: 
Ground

 

What other treatments have you given the plant: 
None

Upload photo if available: 

Other Comments: 
I have 2 Diosma bushes. When they flower my eyes burn slightly, however, when I trim it my eyes burn ever so badly. I put this aside to do other gardening, when the burning resides. However, when I finish and go in The burning is really bad when I wash my hands and face. At nights, I seem to have forgotten about it when I take a shower, which means that the residue of the sap and so on, gets into my eyes, which makes it unbearable.
Is this just an allergy to the pollen and sap of the plant, or is there something in the plant that causes this?
I would love to know.
As we are renting, the worst renting we could have done, as the Landlord is my husband’s best friend, I was told by his wife that I could not take the bushes out! The friend seems all right, but goes with his wife when she says “No”.
I would like to take these 2 bushes out, as I have had a lot of trouble with my eyes in the past, which made me loose my sight in my right eye. I do not need anymore trouble.
Can you please advise me as what is best for me to do?
I can plant what I like, I love roses, but I can not change anything else in the garden.
Please, can you help me out here?

 

Answer: Hi Agnes, Most things create allergic reaction in someone – there are even some people who are allergic aspects of their partner. Nonetheless, I have never heard of anyone being to Diosma (Coleonema pulchrum). You need to get the plant professionally identified by a qualified horticulturist since doctors are pretty hopeless at this (get a friend to collect a flowering sample and ask them to take it to a nursery). Then you need to get your GP to recommend you to an allergy specialist. It is difficult to be certain what plant or other thing you are allergic to. Many people who are certain that they are allergic to wattles or murrayas etc are actually allergic to rye grass pollen which blows in on the wind when these other perfumed flowering plants are flowering. Allergies are nasty and may get worse as time goes by, so please go to a specialist. Please note that I did not do what some doctors do, that is try to identify something that i am not expert in. Doctors, even specialists DO make mistakes when they try to ID plants. I am not qualified to diagnose allergies in people. For the record, I define an expert as:  Someone who knows when to say: “ I don’t know”.