It's an excellent question, for which, alas, I have no answer. I've collected seeds from wild S. carduacea with no problem. But they are very prickly, and I can see how little bits could cause prolonged irritation. Recently I've had odd, unexplained allergic reactions to something in the native plant community, and I've wondered if I'm allergic to the sap of the S. clevelandii I've been propagating. It's not the leaves that cause the problem, but I pruned off the central stems, and it was around then that the mysterious rashes started. That process is over, and the rashes have subsided. It's just a hypothesis. Several decades ago, long before I even knew of the existence of Salvia clevelandii, I suffered strong reactions to something in the chaparral that caused swelling, inflamation and flaking skin around my eyes. It wasn't poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), to which I'm certainly allergic, but with different symptoms.

Thanks for all the replies! @digdirt: Yep, the seafood meal is composted first, but I appreciate the suggestion to ask her doctor--I'll do that. Just curious, why do you say potting soil is not recommended for containers? My potting soil bag states that is what it's supposed to be used for. @dirtguy50: I started growing tomatoes and other veggies for just my household and thankfully, no one here has the seafood allergy problem. Ocean Forest has always given me the best results, which is why I use it. After I saw that I was going to have lots of extra tomatoes, I started thinking about who I could gift them to and my mom came to mind. I definitely wouldn't risk giving anything harmful to my mom, which is why I came on the forum to ask this question and am also checking with a couple of health professionals. Thanks. @ajsmama: I really like the idea of growing a separate pot of tomatoes in a different mix just for my mom; thanks for the suggestion! Strangely enough, my mom is the only one that has severe food allergies. I'm grateful I didn't inherit them. @Carolyn: Thanks for your helpful answer! So given that the tomatoes are popping now and have been potted in/fertilized with seafood I won't take any chances. I'll just grow some more tomatoes next year in a separate pot and mix. This has been extremely helpful. Thanks all!

Karlene - OMG! Your question gave me chills (no pun intended!) because our youngest DD experienced the exact same thing a few yrs ago. She had some symptoms prior, but then she took a new job half way across the country in LasVegas. We first thought it was just stress & nerves, but low & behold, it really was the cold. Anytime she was in air-conditioning (which in Vegas, is everywhere! lol) she had hives all over. Poor thing was miserable. Needless to say, she changed jobs, locations but still has trouble when she spends a lot of time in A/C. We never ID'd it - but thanks to your research, I think we just did! You nailed it girl, & I thank you SO MUCH!! I'm going back to the info site to see what the treatment/cure is (hopefully there is one, it's hard to stay completely away from A/C!) Hope your DD finds some relief! -- SOON!

from the University of Alabama extension page on this weed: "The flowers appear as tannish, pea-sized clusters at each node. Unfortunately, mulberry weed is in a hurry to produce seed, so flowers usually appear when plants have only three leaves on them. Plants 2 inches tall are capable of producing copious amounts of seed. Larger plants that get missed in the weeding process produce a truly scary amount of seed. According to one source, the seeds are explosively discharged and spread up to 4 feet from the original plant. The first line of defense against this pestiferous weed is to learn to identify it. Then, dispatch it post haste to the trash bin. This one does not go in the compost heap because my pile never gets hot enough to kill seeds. Be sure to pull it before the seeds mature, which in landscape beds, is most concentrated in September and October. Because light is needed for germination, one study found that a 2-inch layer of mulch gave good, but not complete, control. Chemical weed control is easy using any of the direct contact herbicides,"