Poison Berries on Landscape Plants
A number of different imported and indigenous plants produce brightly colored berries. Many of these shiny and attractive fruits are dangerously poisonous. They cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from stomach upset to death. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types
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The Melia azedarach or chinaberry tree produces clusters of small yellow berries that are about 3/4 inch in diameter. English ivy plants have fleshy black berries. Holly trees have groups of shiny red berries; yew fruits, while also red, have a hard green stone in the center. The mistletoe plant's fruits are pink or white.
Effects
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Every part of the chinaberry tree is poisonous, but the ripe berries are the most toxic component. According to online plant resource Floridata, eating as few as six chinaberries may be lethal. English ivy berries cause mouth and throat irritation, while eating more than three holly berries results in severe nausea. Ingesting three or more yew berries causes heart-rate changes, dizziness and breathing problems. Mistletoe berries upset the stomach when eaten in large amounts.
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Additional Poisonous Berries
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Other varieties of berries are also poisonous. Lantana plants produce toxic green berries, that have caused fatalities, according to Santa Rosa, Florida, County Extension specialist Daniel E. Mullins. The fruit of the wild black cherry and cherry laurel plants cause cyanide poisoning. American bittersweet, a plant that is often used in dried fall wreath arrangements, produces yellowish-orange berries that cause diarrhea and upset stomach.
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References
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