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Before we begin, this is a Yucca plant. Maybe have a look around and see if there is one nearby. Their hardiness and affordability means they’re pretty popular among those of us who want that greenhouse look, on a rotting share-house budget. See one? Okay cool, maybe just shimmy away from it.The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital have issued a warning about the plant after observing its role in 28 “traumatic ear injuries” between 2012 and 2017. In four of those cases patients experienced ongoing hearing loss. The specific issue is with the plant’s pointed leaves which can damage your eardrum if you, you know, put it in your ear.The most serious cases have seen the inner ear damaged and fluid leaking out. In the incredibly titled article “Garden terror—Case series of twenty-eight serious ear injuries caused by yucca plants,” which appeared in Clinical Otolaryngology, Professor Stephen O’Leary explains: “Most of us were surprised when we started getting these cases through, but then we looked back and thought, hang on, this is happening a lot.”He does go on to point out that plant parents shouldn’t panic too soon; a bit of responsible gardening will take care of things. Hell, he’s the proud owner of a yucca plant himself. When this was all figured out, he personally went home and gave his a good trim, suggesting “…you might want to think about giving it a bit of a haircut – and just think about where those spiky little fronds are pointing.” Good advice.Follow VICE Australia on Twitter.
