Living with Poisonous Plants
Some plants found in our yards and gardens produce fall berries that look tempting,
especially to small children, but are dangerous to eat. Children may be especially
tempted to pick and eat berries if they've seen their parents picking berries such as
blackberries, blueberries and strawberries over the course of the summer.
Unfortunately, the words POISON and TOXIC too often create fear when they should
suggest a warning. Many medicines or common household substances used incorrectly
can cause illness or even death. This is also true with certain plants, when left
alone, they are harmless. Some plants when bruised, crushed or eaten in varying
quantities may result in effects that are upsetting, painful, or even potentially
fatal.
Most plants must be eaten to become toxic, while others just have to be touched
(as in the case of poison ivy). Toxicity often depends on the amount of plant
material ingested. For example, all parts of the sunflower ( Helianthus annuus )
fall on the "slightly toxic" plant list. Since sunflower seeds are a common snack
food, this may come as a surprise, but it is a perfect example of toxicity as a
function of ingested amount. Ice cream can also make you sick if eaten in
disproportionate amounts!
Whether poisoning will take place or not is usually determined more by the habits
of people than by the presence of a particular poisonous plant. The danger depends
mainly on whether it is likely to be eaten. At this time of year, children are
attracted to berries as well as fleshy plant parts. Children should be taught at an
early age to keep unknown plants and plant parts out of their mouths. They need to
be made aware of the potential danger of poisonous plants.
Adults need to be familiar with the potentially dangerous plants in their yards, t
heir homes, and in play areas close to home. If you suspect that a poisoning has occurred,
call the New Hampshire Poison Information Center at 1-800-562-8236 and ask for instructions.
Below are some common, poisonous berry-producing plants that children should learn to avoid.
These plants are especially attractive to children in the fall when carrying their
brightly-colored fruits.
Yew Berries from the evergreen tree or shrub (Taxaxeae) often used as a hedge and grown in
gardens or around homes are particularly hazardous. These small red fruits are not poisonous,
but are sweet and taste good, so children might be tempted to eat many of them. The seeds,
however, are toxic and might be eaten with the berry.
| Baneberry ( Actaea rubra and Actaea alba ), a perennial herb species found in gardens and woodlands, grows one to two feet tall, and develops red or white poisonous berries in summer and early autumn. |
| Jack-in-the-pulpit ( Arisaema triphyllum ),a common and pretty woodland plant, produces clusters of poisonous red fruits in the fall. |
| Bittersweet ( Celastrus orbiculata and Celastrus scandens ), woody, deciduous vines often grown in gardens and also found in the wild, produce showy orange fruits which are poisonous. |
| Daphne ( Daphne mexereum ) is a shrub often grown for its lilac-pink flowers in early spring. It later develops poisonous white or red berries which are highly attractive to children. |
| Pokeberry ( Phytolacca Americana ), a common weed that can grow up to eight feet tall, with a purplish stem, and large, smooth alternative leaves, produces toxic, purplish-black berries that resemble wild grapes. They are especially tempting. |
| Chokecherry ( Prunus virginiana ) is a weedy tree that can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its red berries are not harmful, but the seeds inside contain toxic amounts of a dangerous substance, cyanogenetic glycoside. |
| Black nightshade ( Solanum nigrum ), often found in pastures, waste place, meadows, and near dwellings, is an annual that grows one or two feet and produces poisonous large, black berries in late summer and early autumn. |
| May apple ( Podophyllum peltatum )is a woodland plant that grows one to two feet tall and produces large, umbrella-like leaves. Each plant produces one flower in the spring which becomes a potentially poisonous plum-size fruit in the fall. |
| Poison ivy ( Rhus radicans ), a woody shrub or vine, is harmful in all seasons. All parts of the plant are poisonous including the yellow-white, shiny berries in the fall. |
The above list is not comprehensive. There are other common plants, both
berry-producing and not, that can be harmful or even fatal if consumed by small
children. The best way to protect small children from plant poisoning is to teach them
not to eat any plant parts without adult supervision.
We can't ignore plants, for they are the hand that feeds us. However, common sense can
go a long way in making people-plant relationship a compatible one.
By Margaret Hagen, Extension Educator Family, Home & Garden
Education Center, Hillsborough County