Letters to the Editor
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Okay, maybe it's just me
But does anyone else find the fear of poisonous plants a little weird? What kids go around eating shrubs? Did you ever just start munching on the bushes when you were a child? Don't parents generally keep their children on a short leash until they get to the age where they can be trusted not to eat random stuff? There are all sorts of poisons in nature - mushrooms, plants, you name it. Are kids going to be kept away from the woods until adulthood? I understand that if you're going to, say, plant a border around a toddler playground, you might pick something absolutely safe. But it seems odd to freak out about the idea of just having a poisonous plant in the yard. If you're curious about the number of toxic exposures via plants, you can find more on www.aapcc.org, including the frequency of plant exposure by type of plant. The top plants are peace lilies, poinsettas, holly, philodendrons, Aermican pokeweed (which makes sense at least, since it looks like berries - holly, too), poison ivy.
That said, the neighbor's a jerk. I would let it go, but remain watchful.