Hello dear reader!
July, and especially August, is the season for a wide variety of wild berries. Strawberries and blueberries, currants, bird cherry, raspberries, and closer to autumn - lingonberries. Yes, and others ... You just need to remember that there are poisonous berries in our forest! Although there are not many of them, you need to know the poisonous berries. And it is especially important that children know them well!
All sorts of ratings and TOPs are now in vogue. Well, I will also present a kind of TOP of poisonous berries. The criteria are simple - the poisonousness of the plant and its prevalence and accessibility for those who can, most often accidentally, out of ignorance, poison them. Well, let's get started...
It is a common inhabitant of deciduous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. Occurs very often. The appearance of the plant is peculiar, it is almost impossible to confuse it with another. A whorled arrangement of leaves, a single flower, and then a fruit, which is alone at the top of the stem.
The whole plant is poisonous - both leaves and rhizome. But the berries of the crow's eye are especially poisonous. Large, black, shiny, it really resembles the eye of a crow. And very attractive, especially for children. But the crow's eye berry is deadly! The substance paristifin from the group of saponins causes convulsions, disrupts the work of the heart. Which can stop!
In folk medicine, there are a number of recipes using the crow's eye for the treatment of certain diseases. However, you need to know:
Due to its extreme danger, the use of the crow's eye for any medical purposes forbidden!
Out of curiosity, "berries" can be enjoyed by children. In case of poisoning, urgent medical attention is required! Children from an early age need to be introduced to this plant and explained that in no case should it be touched.
Wolf's bast (wolfberry)
About this interesting forest shrub. Very beautiful in spring, wolf's bast is very attractive in August, when its large red berries ripen. However, the whole plant - and leaves, and bark, and fruits - is poisonous!
It should not even be picked up in order to avoid skin burns. Especially - to taste the berries. The result will be severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract.
Wolfberry, or wolf's bast
Wolfberry is a medicinal plant. It is widely used in folk medicine. Yes, and the modern pharmacopoeia is interested in this plant! But this does not mean at all that nature lovers should be “interested” in them (only through the camera!). And even more so, children should be warned about the danger of a wolf's bark!
May lily of the valley
Dangerous and such a very beloved plant, like lily of the valley!
May lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) is the only representative of the lily-of-the-valley genus of the lily family (however, taxonomy issues here are also quite controversial and are constantly being refined).
Lily of the valley is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere, but especially in Europe. True, due to immoderate fees, the natural habitats of this beautiful plant are constantly shrinking. However, lily of the valley has long been a garden plant.
It is a perennial with a thin creeping rhizome. There are several leaves in the rosette, but the lower ones are very small and inconspicuous, similar to scales. But two large broadly lanceolate leaves with arcuate venation are hard to miss (and confuse with the leaves of another plant). A flower-bearing stem grows between the leaves, bearing a brush of graceful fragrant flowers.
Many years ago, the author came across a small clearing (ten by fifteen meters) in the forest, the grass cover of which consisted almost entirely of lily of the valley leaves! True, it was already the second half of July, and flowering had long ended. it is not for nothing that it is called May, it blooms in May - early June.
Lily of the valley is not only an excellent ornamental, but also a recognized medicinal plant. Recognized not only by folk, but also by official medicine. Preparations from lily of the valley treat the cardiovascular system. The main active ingredients are glycosides convalatoxin, convallotoxol, convalloside. They are obtained from the leaves and flowers of the plant.
But an overdose of the drug can lead to disruption of the heart! Therefore, you should never self-medicate - it is very dangerous!
You can get poisoned just out of curiosity - by tasting beautiful red berries! Especially often this happens again with children! But for the fruits of the lily of the valley it is not necessary to go to the forest. And yes, it's rare! They are common in our flower beds!
Lily of the valley berries (photo from the Internet)
By the way, it’s also not worth collecting large bouquets of lily of the valley in the spring, putting them in a vase in a room is also not worth it - a large amount of substances released into the air is by no means safe for health.
Voronets spiked. Voronet krasnoplodny
Voronets spiky is a perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family. As you can see in the photo, it has large compound leaves with leaflets serrated along the edges. It grows in shady forests - broad-leaved, mixed, coniferous-small-leaved. In such a secondary spruce-birch-aspen forest with an undergrowth of currants and raspberries. With a developed grass cover, I discovered it. The range of the black crow is almost all of Europe, the south of the forest zone of Western Siberia and Altai.
The whole plant is poisonous! After all, his organs contain a whole set of alkaloids and transaconitic acid. Even juice that gets on the skin can cause burning and blisters. Berries are no exception. Adults can use them out of curiosity and out of ignorance. But above all, children suffer again! But even two or three berries for a child is a significant dose!
True, the plant itself warns of its danger. Its smell is very unpleasant!
Like many poisonous plants, it is used in traditional medicine. Official medicine does not recognize him!
From the berries of the crow, black dye was obtained for dyeing wool.
A close relative of the spiked crow is the red-fruited crow. But if he is an inhabitant of Europe, and in Siberia it is already becoming rare, then the red-fruited raven widely populates the forest zone in the Far East, in Eastern and Western Siberia. It is also found in the north of the European part.
Voronets krasnoplodny (photo from the Internet)
In appearance, it is similar to a relative, differing primarily in the color of the fruits - they are red.
Also a highly poisonous plant! The high amount of alkaloids found in all organs of the plant make it potentially dangerous for the curious berry lover!
Although this crow "nobly" warns about itself with a smell so characteristic that it was named "skunk".
The plant is widely used in folk medicine. However, remember:
You need to be treated by specialists! Self-treatment is dangerous, because it can very easily turn into its direct opposite. And such a “treatment” with poisonous plants is especially dangerous!
The fruits of the black crow were also used to obtain black paint. Hence, by the way, the name. After all, “crow” just means “black”.
The whole plant is highly poisonous. Its constituent alkaloids of the atropine group can cause very severe poisoning. The result can even be fatal due to paralysis of the respiratory system and cardiac arrest.
Belladonna (photo from the Internet)
Its range is beech and hornbeam forests of Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Crimea, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, North Africa. In the Krasnodar Territory, it is grown on plantations (for medical purposes). Although the plant is very poisonous, it is unlikely that most Russians will have to meet it in natural conditions. Although, of course, you need to know it! Therefore, in my rating of poisonous berries, its place is by no means the highest.
By the way, “Belladonna” in Italian means “beautiful woman”. Yes, and the Russian name is consonant. And this is due to the fact that the juice of the plant was instilled into the eyes to dilate the pupils and rubbed their cheeks to enhance the blush. Beauty truly requires sacrifice!
In thickets of shrubs, along the banks of water bodies, along wastelands in the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, in Ukraine and Belarus, bittersweet nightshade is often found.
Its flowers are similar to those of other nightshades, especially potatoes. Oblong red berries are very reminiscent of small tomatoes.
Medicinal plant, very widely used in folk medicine and homeopathy. However, nightshade leaves and berries are poisonous! They should be treated by a specialist!
You should not eat berries (for the sake of curiosity). The glycoside dulcamarine contained in them acts like atropine, causing disorders of the central nervous system, respiration and heart function.
In addition to very poisonous berries, carrying great danger even if they are accidentally consumed, there are berries in our forests ... not that poisonous, but simply inedible. There will be no severe poisoning when using them. But trouble is almost certainly guaranteed! In my TOP of poisonous berries, these plants, of course, will occupy the last places.
The fruits ripen in August. These are black drupes, sitting on cuttings in the axils of the leaves. Buckthorn fruits and bark are medicinal raw materials. They are used by traditional medicine as an emetic and laxative (official medicine recognizes only the bark).
The fruits are readily eaten by birds. In humans, their use can cause unpleasant consequences caused precisely by their medical properties - that is, vomiting and diarrhea (diarrhea).
Widespread forest shrub with very attractive-looking red berries, sitting mostly in pairs (that's how - in pairs - its flowers sit on the plant). Forest honeysuckle is widely used in landscaping as an ornamental shrub.
Berries are eagerly pecked by birds. For humans, they are inedible, and the consequences can be similar to the consequences of eating buckthorn.
In Eastern Siberia, in the Far East, forest honeysuckle is replaced in nature by a similar species, but already with oblong blue berries covered with a wax coating. These fruits are edible. And the shrub was called edible honeysuckle. It is widely cultivated, often planted in gardens and parks. Sometimes it can get wild. The seeds of edible honeysuckle spread by birds can also make an “escape to nature”!
In general, you need to remember a simple rule. In nature, you should never "taste" anything you are not familiar with! This applies to plants almost more than anything else. After all, they contain many substances, the presence of which in your body, and even in significant concentrations, can be very undesirable! So poisonous berries may well get caught.
You should also not self-medicate. I would especially not recommend using recipes from the Internet! If you want to turn to traditional medicine, then it's better to find a grandmother who "knows".
That's about all I have for today. And without that, I am writing a short post ... the third day. Not in a blogging way...
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Category: Tags: ,60 comments to “ Poisonous berries. TOP dangerous berries of our forest”
- Alexander Ivanovich
Hello, Alexander!
I read the article with interest. I know almost all these plants by sight. Yes, and I do not neglect the rule
But I will definitely show these dangerous inhabitants of the forests to my grandchildren. They often go to forest areas with their parents.
Thanks for the great article!Reply ↓
- blacksmiths
Alexander, I once foolishly ate bearberry in the Kich-Gorodets region. It even seemed delicious to me. Then he vomited all evening.
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- Alexander
@ : Alexander Ivanovich, hello! Glad to see you on my blog! Absolutely right, it must be shown.
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- Alexander
@ : Alexander, hello! You are, of course, absolutely right. Bearberry is a berry, although not poisonous, but not edible. So she will find a place in my TOP ...
Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me. There is a lot of it in the Ostashevsk forests. But you won’t turn back there quickly ... Bearberry is a very good medicinal plant. Yes, and its features are very interesting. I just don’t really want to write an article with “borrowed” photographs. Maybe we'll meet again in the woods.Reply ↓
- Olga Bogach
A much needed article! Children who grew up in the city do not know what can and cannot be eaten in the forest. Yes, and in cities there are bushes with pretty berries, from which there are poisonings. As a child, my daughter tried berries from a bush, it’s good that she didn’t get poisoned much, she didn’t have to go to the doctor.
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- Natabul
I didn’t even know that so many poisonous berries exist. But I know one rule: There is nothing in the forest!
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- Igor
Alexander, thank you very much for the article. As an avid mushroom picker and berry picker, such an article will be very useful to me. In nature, we often met the raven eye, honeysuckle. Lily of the valley in the south.
So we have one poisonous berry in the forest, which everyone bypasses. Honestly, I did not find it in your TOP. We call her "wolf's bast"
Here is the image
or here
What is this berry?
We have one friend she was very poisoned. Went to the forest. Well, there is nothing, he says: no lingonberries, no blueberries ... nothing. She take and eat these berries. In general, it was great food poisoning. Fell into a coma. But then somehow she got out.
Now I don't go to the forest at all. Honestly, I don’t understand why, it’s so cool there!Reply ↓
- Alexander
@ : Hello Olga! That's right, in childhood, adults explained such things to us in passing - you can’t eat this, this ...
As for the various berries in the city, nothing should be eaten there. Even obviously edible. After all, plants absorb a large amount of harmful substances from the air. And even they accumulate. The main goal of landscaping is to purify the air. And plants select those that can withstand this polluted air.Reply ↓
- Alexander
@ : Well, there aren't many poisonous berries in the forest... But they are. And why not eat in the forest, say, strawberries, blueberries or raspberries? Yes to health! You can not taste unfamiliar berries!
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- Alexander
@ : Hello, Igor! I had to tinker a little with the publication of your comment, and still only one link passed, and that was changed (closed from indexing). The second, even closed, turns out to be a bat. Therefore, removed. Although both were opened from the admin panel.
Essentially. Not quite, however, I understood how your friend could be poisoned at the same time by two completely different plants? In the first picture, undoubtedly, arctous is a plant of the heather family, close to bearberry, common in the tundra. Judging by the information that I found - inedible or inedible, but not poisonous. Like our forest bearberry.
I haven't been able to pinpoint the plant in the second picture yet. This photo roams the Internet from site to site, one and the same, apparently. With signatures like "wolf's bast", "wolfberry". But this is not a wolf's bast (it is also a wolfberry)! The only thing these plants have in common is the color of the berries! Agree, this is not enough! Thus, it turns out that in the language of the military is called "disinformation" (that is, disinformation). In the case of poisonous plants - and the wolf's bark is very poisonous! — such disinformation is not safe, alas. That's why I wanted to post that photo.
Perhaps I will do this when I can still accurately identify the plant.
It is difficult to judge from a photograph what the life form of a plant is - what it is: a herbaceous plant, a lingonberry-type shrub or a shrub. If you have seen him in nature, please write.
But most of all it looks like some kind of honeysuckle. And by the leaves, by their location. And by fruit.Reply ↓
- Alexander
By the way, it is possible to fall into a coma after eating berries. Provided that a person is allergic to them. Unfortunately, sometimes he may not be aware of it! There are people who have an allergic reaction to raspberries, strawberries, etc. But, alas, it can take place not only in the form of red spots on the skin ... Maybe even anaphylactic shock, but this is fraught with the most serious consequences. So your friend, Igor, should probably consult an allergist.
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- Svetlana
Why do some people eat nightshade? I know those. We have a lot of it. Maybe it can be of several types?
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- Alexander
@ : Hello Svetlana! There is another nightshade - black. Here you can eat its berries, they are also used as a filling for pies. But only ripe berries, black, are suitable for food. The unripe, as well as the leaves, stems of the plant contain the poisonous alkaloid soladinin. Black nightshade has white flowers, not the purple ones of bittersweet.
Reply ↓
- Igor
@ :
I don’t know, but this berry grows everywhere with us. People call it that. Unfortunately, I'm not a biologist, so I can't argue with you.
Low growing shrub. Grows in the forest everywhere. It grows on the hills 50 meters from my house. Often comes across with lingonberries. But it is easy to distinguish - the berries are soft. Not like a strong lingonberry. You press these - they will immediately crush. They will come out with white pulp. The size of a lingonberry. The shape is imperfectly spherical.
What else…
And as for the coma... You may be right - an allergy. It was a long time ago, it is difficult to verify this fact.Reply ↓
- Alexander
@ : Igor, thanks for the description. I'll try to find something in the literature. But I say that it looks like some kind of honeysuckle. And of our honeysuckles, only one is edible - with blue oblong berries, it is from the Far East, but very widely settled by humans. The rest are inedible.
And the plants in the photographs are really different ... I am writing about the second picture, the link to which I had to delete (it opens from the admin panel, after publication - “not found”). But this is definitely not a wolf's bast! There are a number of plants that have the local name "wolf berries" (by the way, the honeysuckle of the forest - too!). And since the country is large, it is still difficult to deal with all the wolfberries. Yes, it's not the name. Just don't take a berry you don't know for sure is edible! There are many perfectly edible mushrooms that we call grebes and never pick. And nothing bad happens to us. As they say, in this case it is better to overdo it ...Reply ↓
- Alexander
@ : If you mean the first picture (the link from your first comment opens) - this is arctous. Creeping shrub, common throughout the Arctic. Close to bearberry. And apparently, like her, inedible. However, I read that the Eskimos eat ... But it was still not an Eskimo who wrote it. Yes, and many plants that we will never eat now were often eaten by our grandparents (and my parents, too), for example, during the hungry war years
Reply ↓
- Igor
Alexander, and you can make tree-like comments. Probably not only I get confused in the comments. Where is the answer, and where is the question, I understand only by meaning. It's very difficult to have a discussion.
Thank you.Reply ↓
- Alexandra Polina
I haven’t seen many of the listed berries - but you need to take note, you never know? In general, we try to follow the rule with the children - in the forest, don’t collect or eat anything you don’t know - for one edible berry - five dangerous ones come across.
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- Alla
And we ate nightshade in childhood, only black. And alive, thank God. But belladonna... now I will know what it is, otherwise I only heard and read it.
In the forest, in general, I try not to take anything unfamiliar.Reply ↓
- Alexei
Interesting article! As a child, my father often showed me which berries were poisonous and which were not. Most often in the forests of the Tyumen region there is a crow's eye, less often - a wolfberry.
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- Vadar
Nothing, there are so many poisonous berries in the forest! Thank you for introducing us to them!
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- Anatoly
My parents took me with my brother of sizmalism to the forest. So in practice we have mastered the basic rule - If there is even a slight doubt, then it is better not to touch the plant. Be it berries, mushrooms, or flowers.
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- Galina
Good night =)
Interesting article, yes. I planned to open a similar topic at my place, and tell there that in our forests it’s not worth pulling into your mouth (and indeed, touching it once again), but so far I don’t have time, and here the summer is already running out, now, if if I meet something dangerous in the forests, then I’ll write =) if, of course, I recognize plants =) because I’m still a botanist =)) and sometimes attentiveness is lameReply ↓
- Alexei
The information is very instructive and the photos are a good visual accompaniment. Many have become very detached from nature. Therefore, poisoning occurs, because some poisonous berries look so appetizing.
Reply ↓
- Dmitry
Familiar berries. From childhood, taught to pass by.
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- Alexander
As a child, my friend and I ate some wolfberries, 10-15 pieces each, and nothing happened to us.
It was we who then thought that these were wolf berries, but now from the article with pictures I realized that it was “forest honeysuckle”))
We have a lot of crow's eye in the Urals, but as far as I remember, nightshade was dark in color. Toli blue or black. I also tried it))Reply ↓
- Alexander
Alexander! One of the names of forest honeysuckle is wolf berries. Not very poisonous - rather inedible. may cause diarrhea and vomiting. But 10 berries is not the right dose.
Nightshade still exists black (another species). Not to be confused - bittersweet nightshade, with red berries, poisonous. However, the unripe fruits of black nightshade are also red, and also poisonous!
- Alexander
Project language:
Here you will find out what berries you can not eat.
Our country is very large, and there are many different berries in it. They are not only useful, but also poisonous. We will only talk about some of the most poisonous berries.
Its flowers are similar to those of other nightshades, especially potatoes. Oblong red berries are very reminiscent of small tomatoes.
Medicinal plant, very widely used in folk medicine and homeopathy. However, nightshade leaves and berries are poisonous! They should be treated by a specialist!
You should not eat berries (for the sake of curiosity). The glycoside dulcamarine contained in them acts like atropine, causing disorders of the central nervous system, respiration and heart function.
In addition to very poisonous berries, carrying great danger even if they are accidentally consumed, there are berries in our forests ... not that poisonous, but simply inedible. There will be no severe poisoning when using them. But trouble is almost certainly guaranteed!
Buckthorn breaking
buckthorn families. In a sparse forest, near rivers and lakes, streams, you can often find brittle buckthorn. This is a shrub from the buckthorn family, very interesting. I hope that a separate article will be devoted to him. In the meantime - only brief information about this medicinal plant with inedible fruits.
What kind of berries are not in our forests! Red, blue, black, yellow, various. The red berry of any plant is always appetizing in appearance. Bright, beautiful, with a glossy barrel, it hangs on a branch between green leaves. The hand reaches out to pick it up and put it in your mouth. But be careful! Not all red berries are safe. There are among them ruthless poisoners, eating which, you can pay with your life. Wonderful plants gave us nature. These are raspberries, strawberries, rose hips, cranberries, viburnum, lemongrass, lingonberries and many others. Their red berries are known to everyone and, perhaps, everyone knows about their benefits. They are used to make jams and compotes, bake pies and prepare tinctures, they are eaten raw and successfully used in medicine. But in the forest clearings you can find no less beautiful red berries that need to be avoided. The people dubbed them "wolf", although each of them has its own name.
Honeysuckle
This one is most often called. It is found not only in forests almost throughout Russia, it is also planted as a hedge. Honeysuckle has pretty nice creamy, white, or bee-like colors. Among the many varieties of this plant, there are edible ones.
Their fruits are slightly elongated, dark blue or almost purple. In either the forest or the common one in question, the fruit is a red berry. It is small in size, spherical, very juicy, bright, shiny, perfectly decorates the bush. Often two berries grow together in pairs. Children mistake them for red currants. The berries of real honeysuckle taste bitter, so you won’t eat a lot of them, but it’s better not to try. No deaths have been reported after consuming a small amount of inedible honeysuckle. But those who have tasted these berries may experience poisoning with fever, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and impaired stools.
Lily of the valley
This delicate fragrant flower, which delights us in the spring, is unusually poisonous. The fruit of the lily of the valley is a round red berry, located on a stalk on thin, slightly curved stalks. Lily of the valley grows almost everywhere - in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, in oak forests, in gardens and flower beds. He especially likes edges and clearings with fairly moist soil.
The berries stay on the plant for a long time. They are especially dangerous for animals. People are rarely poisoned by them. The poison contained in all parts of the flower is called convallatoxin. Once in the body, it can cause cardiac arrest. Those who have eaten a small amount of berries have all the signs of food poisoning. It is noteworthy that even the water in which there are lilies of the valley becomes poisonous. But in strictly fixed doses, the plant is used in official medicine to treat heart diseases. Traditional medicine uses lily of the valley much more widely, for example, for rheumatism, headaches, and eye diseases.
deadly wolfberry
Wolf's bast, plohovets, wolfberry - all this is one and the same shrub with red berries. You can see it in the forests of Russia up to the Arctic zone. It blooms earlier than other trees and shrubs, decorating the edges already in March. Its berries are bright, juicy, very beautiful, about the size of a cherry stone.
They contain poisonous juice, in contact with the skin and mucous membranes, itching, redness, inflammation are observed. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to those that occur with gastroenteritis. All parts of the wolfberry are poisonous. They contain a large number of substances dangerous to humans - diterpenoids, coumarins, daphnin, miserein, coccognin and others. Wolfberry is planted as an ornamental plant and in gardens. Avicenna used it in his recipes. Folk healers use this plant externally, in the form of decoctions and tinctures for rheumatism, gout, tonsillitis, dermatosis, toothache and many other diseases, but it is officially forbidden to use it for medicinal purposes.
swamp calla
This very beautiful graceful plant is commonly known as calla. It is grown with pleasure in flower beds, used in bouquets. In nature, calla can be found where there is sufficient moisture. It grows in the European part of Russia, and in Siberia, and in the Far East. All parts of it are poisonous. Calla flowers are small and inconspicuous, collected in cobs. They are decorated with a white veil, taken by many for a large petal.
The fruit of the plant is a red berry, somewhat reminiscent of a large stemmed mulberry. Calla juice causes irritation and inflammation of the skin, and if it enters the stomach, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, heart rhythm disturbances appear. Pets are often poisoned with leaves and fruits of calla lilies. They begin to salivate profusely, trembling, bloating, the pulse becomes very weak, but frequent. Death without urgent action occurs within an hour. For medicinal purposes, calla rhizomes are mainly used, they are added to some dishes even after special processing.
Voronets
This herbaceous plant with red berries can be found in coniferous and mixed forest belts, on marsh hummocks, on clay and rocky slopes. It is sometimes used in gardens as a flowerbed ornament, mainly because of the beautifully carved leaves. The crow has many other names, including bedbug (because of an unpleasant smell), stink, Christopher's grass, again wolf berries. Voronets blooms in May-June. In place of small white flowers that stay on the stem for only a couple of days, berries appear.
Depending on the species, they can be not only red, but also white and black. There are up to two dozen of them on the stalk. They are also small, round, shiny, reminiscent of a small cluster of grapes and very attractive to look at. All parts of the crow are poisonous. When it enters the stomach, people experience nausea with vomiting, severe pain in the abdomen, convulsions, clouding of consciousness.
Arum
By the appearance of the flower, this plant resembles a calla, only its cover is not white, but dirty green-purple, similar to decaying meat. The smell is about the same. This is necessary for the plant to attract carrion and dung flies - its only pollinators. But the fruit of the aronnik is quite nice.
On an upright leg, its bright, shiny red berries look unusually attractive. The photo shows that they form something like an ear and look like beads stuck to one another. They are poisonous only when fresh. Dried berries are used in folk medicine to treat bronchitis, hemorrhoids and some other diseases. Aronnik grows almost throughout Europe and Asia. It can be seen on river banks, meadows, pastures, in bushes and on rocky mountain slopes.
Nightshade bittersweet
In about 1000 species. Poisonous is the one in which the variety of berries is red. Black berries are quite edible, they even make jams, compotes, and bake pies. There is a nightshade in many regions of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. Grows like a weed. Some gardeners plant it to decorate fences and hedges.
Nightshade fruits are bright red, slightly elongated, reminiscent of greatly reduced clusters of cherry tomatoes. Alkaloids, steroids, carotonoids, triterpenoids were found in their pulp and bones. The taste of nightshade berries is sweet at first, but after that bitterness is felt in the mouth. In case of poisoning, coordination of movement is disturbed, the heartbeat quickens, abdominal pains appear.
elderberry red
Walking in the second half of summer along the edge of the forest or in the park, you can see a sprawling shrub, decorated with lush berry tassels. This is elderberry. Just do not confuse it with black edible.
This type of elderberry does not mean at all that it has not yet ripened. It's just a completely different species of the same plant family. Red elderberry is very beautiful, so it is willingly cultivated to decorate alleys, parks and squares. Its berries are a bit like rowan brushes, but the leaves and the plant itself are completely different. Birds eat its red berries with pleasure, but for humans they are poisonous due to the presence of amygdalin in them, as it turns into hydrocyanic acid in his stomach. In small doses, red elderberry berries are used in folk medicine as a medicine. Important: it has already been proven that red elderberry does not save from cancer.
Euonymus
Probably, many will be interested in the name of a very unusual red berry - bright, juicy, with black dotted eyes. This is a warty euonymus. Its fruits have a rather pleasant taste, so they are eagerly pecked by forest birds.
People seeing this may think that the berries are safe. But the euonymus is poisonous, and all parts of this beautiful plant are dangerous. Symptoms of poisoning with attractive berries are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, general weakness, disruption of the heart. Euonymus grows in broad-leaved groves, forests, loves oak forests and places with lime-rich soils. In settlements, it can be seen in the form of a living spectacular hedge.
What to do in case of poisoning
Some authors give recommendations on how to recognize whether berries are poisonous or not. One of the main signs of safety is the use of berries for food by birds and animals. However, focusing on this, you can pay with your life. So, birds, without the slightest harm to themselves, eat berries of euonymus, elderberry, nightshade, honeysuckle and others. To avoid trouble, you need to be guided by another rule - if you don’t know what the red berry is called and what it is, it’s better not to touch it. According to statistics, berry poisoning is more common among children. Adults should explain to them which berries grow in their area. If, however, poisoning has occurred, before the ambulance arrives, you need to wash the victim's stomach, give adsorbents to drink and ensure peace.
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In nature, there is always a chance to stumble upon a poisonous plant. And if adults are likely to just walk by, then curious children who are eager to taste everything may suffer.
website recalls: many very dangerous plant species are grown as ornamentals and can be seen not only in the forest, but also on window sills and flower beds. Therefore, in the city, too, it is worth being vigilant.
Where does it meet: In the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; prefers damp places, swamps.
There are several types of buttercups, many of them are poisonous.
Where does it meet: Temperate Northern Hemisphere, Australia.
The most common representatives are red and black elderberry. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and if you've just touched an elder, it's best to wash your hands. Interestingly, black berries are completely safe when ripe, they are used to make drinks and pies.
What is dangerous: Provokes headache, weakness, abdominal pain, sometimes convulsions. Possible heart failure and respiratory arrest.
Where does it meet: In tropical and subtropical regions. Used in landscaping, it is grown as an indoor flower all over the world.
A truly insidious plant that attracts with its pleasant aroma and beautiful pink or white flowers.
What is dangerous: Contains cardiac glycosides, which can alter heart rhythm, cause vomiting, headache, weakness, and even death. There is a legend that Napoleon's soldiers, out of ignorance, made a fire from oleander branches and fried meat on it. The next morning, some of the soldiers did not wake up.
Where does it meet: In Europe, Asia and North America. Because of the beautiful purple, blue and yellowish flowers, it is grown in flower beds. It is a tall and conspicuous plant.
In the ancient world, it was used to poison arrows. Even bees can get poisoned if they collect honey from aconite. By the way, the delphinium is its close relative, and it is also poisonous.
What is dangerous: A VERY poisonous plant. Causes abnormal heart rhythm, numbness of the skin of the face, arms and legs, darkening of the eyes and death. Juice penetrates even through the skin.
Where does it meet: In North and Central America, Europe, southern regions of Russia.
Datura resembles a potato or a tomato, which is not surprising, because it is their close relative. This is an inconspicuous plant with thorny fruits-boxes with black seeds inside. Its white flowers emit an intoxicating scent.
What is dangerous: Contains alkaloids that cause palpitations, disorientation and delirium. In severe cases, death or coma is possible. Shamans of many nations used this plant in their rituals.
Where does it meet: In the temperate regions of Eurasia, one species exists in the USA.
Just a giant among the umbrellas, which looks quite impressive, but it is better not to take pictures next to it.
What is dangerous: Some species contain furanocoumarins, which cause painful burns when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, if hogweed juice gets on your hand, wash it and protect it from sunlight for about two days.
Where does it meet: Everywhere. It can often be seen on window sills, including in children's institutions.
Euphorbia includes a huge number of species, often they are very different in appearance: some look like cacti, others look like flowers. Teach children not to touch unfamiliar plants, even if they are in pots.
What is dangerous: Juice leaves burns. Later, malaise, swelling and fever join.
Where does it meet: Cultivated in Europe, Russia and the USA.
In many countries, pies, salads and sauces are made from rhubarb. And many are not averse to just crunching the stem.
What is dangerous: Not everyone knows, but you can’t eat the leaves and the root of this plant, as they contain an incredible amount of oxalic acid and its salts. They can cause burning eyes and mouth, kidney problems, vomiting and diarrhea.
Where does it meet: In North Africa, Europe, southern Russia, Asia Minor, in some parts of North America.
It looks like a bush with black berries and pinkish flowers. Contains the alkaloid atropine, which causes pupillary dilation. In the Middle Ages, drops of belladonna were dropped into the eyes to make them look more attractive. Now similar drops are used for eye operations.
Bittersweet nightshade is a semi-shrub with a curly long stem (up to 2 m, and more in favorable conditions), with a woody base.
Leaves are ovate-pointed.
The flowers are purple, in drooping racemes.
Blooms from late May to September.
The fruits are red bittersweet poisonous berries, ripen in June - October.
Distribution of nightshade red
Red nightshade is widespread in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Siberia and in the Far East along the banks of reservoirs, damp places, among shrubs. Often found in settlements, on the outskirts of villages, on the borders of vegetable gardens, on garbage heaps. Often, bittersweet nightshade is grown in home gardens as an ornamental vine.
The poisonous parts of nightshade
Poisonous in nightshade are leaves, stem and fruits. As the berries ripen, the poisonous properties of bittersweet nightshade berries, unlike black nightshade, do not disappear, since in addition to the poisonous glycoalkaloid solanine, which disappears when the berries ripen, there are also other toxic substances, in particular solidulcin and dulcamarin.
Symptoms of poisoning
Symptoms of poisoning with bittersweet nightshade are the same as when poisoning with other plants containing solanine and similar glycoalkaloids - abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, inhibition of motor and mental activity, shortness of breath, cardiovascular insufficiency. First aid - gastric lavage.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - nightshade red
Belladonna
It is also known under the names belladonna, rubella, sleepy dope, mad berry, wild cherry (Atropa belladonna) - a plant of the nightshade family. Perennial herbaceous plant 1-2 m high with an erect thick green or purple-colored stem, forked-branched at the top.
The leaves are petiolate, broadly lanceolate, alternate, but in pairs close together, and one is always much larger than the others.
Belladonna flowers are solitary, drooping, emerging from the axils of the upper leaves, bell-shaped, dirty purple (sometimes yellow) in color.
Blooms from June to late autumn.
The fruit is a shiny black-blue poisonous berry, flattened-spherical, juicy, sweet-sour, the size of a cherry.
Spread of belladonna
Belladonna is widespread in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Carpathians. Occurs in clearings, edges, shady glades.
Toxic Parts of Belladonna
All parts of the plant are poisonous. Poisoning occurs more often in children who are attracted to the poisonous berries of belladonna that resemble cherries or grapes (even 2-3 of its berries can cause severe poisoning in a child). They, as well as other parts of the plant, contain such very poisonous alkaloids as atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine, etc.
Symptoms of poisoning
Signs of poisoning appear after 10-20 minutes. In case of mild poisoning, dryness and burning in the mouth and throat, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, palpitations. The voice becomes hoarse. The pupils are dilated and do not react to light. Violated near vision. Photophobia, flashing flies before the eyes. Dryness and redness of the skin. Excitation, sometimes delirium and hallucinations. In severe poisoning, complete loss of orientation, sudden motor and mental excitement, sometimes convulsions.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - belladonna
Calla (calla) marsh
Marsh calla is a juicy, thick-rhizome, creeping hydrophyte (a plant that grows halfway in water) 20-40 cm high with large shiny round-heart-shaped leaves (15-20 cm) on long petioles. The cob-shaped inflorescence is surrounded by a white (green on the reverse side), leaf-like veil.
The fruits are juicy red poisonous berries, collected in clusters.
Blossoms in May, June, fruits ripen from the end of June.
Calla spread
The marsh calla is widespread throughout Russia in swamps and marshy shores of reservoirs.
Toxic Parts of the Calla
The whole plant is poisonous, especially poisonous berries and rhizomes. Calla contains pungent saponin-like compounds, as well as volatile substances such as aroin with irritating properties.
Symptoms of calla poisoning
Nausea, vomiting, salivation, diarrhea, shortness of breath, tachycardia, convulsions. First aid - gastric lavage and laxatives.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - marsh calla
Euonymus
Euonymus is a deciduous shrub (sometimes a small tree) 3-4 meters tall, with "classic" elongated leaves, greenish small inconspicuous flowers.
Euonymus blooms in May-June. The fruits fully ripen in September-October.
The fruits are beautiful bright pink quadruple capsules containing usually black seeds inside, covered (sometimes not completely) with fleshy orange or red pulp. As they mature, the boxes open.
Distribution of Euonymus
Euonymus is found in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, some species grow in the Far East (up to Eastern Siberia), Sakhalin, Kuril Islands.
Poison Parts of Euonymus
Everything about the euonymus is poisonous - roots, bark, leaves, but the most dangerous are poisonous berries, which attract with their bright appearance.
Symptoms of poisoning with Euonymus
The use of poisonous spindle berries in food causes vomiting and diarrhea, large doses of berries can provoke intestinal bleeding.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - euonymus
Privet (Wolf Berries)
Privet is a genus of rather heat-loving shrubs of the olive family. Common privet is a deciduous shrub up to 5 meters high.
The leaves are simple, opposite. The inflorescences are white, similar to lilac flowers, also collected in panicles.
The fruit is a black berry. Privet blooms in May-July, after the appearance of leaves on it. Privet
The berries are poisonous, ripen in September-October and do not fall off for a long time.
Distribution of Privet
On the territory of the former USSR, common privet is found in its natural form. The halo of its distribution is the southwestern part of Russia, the Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova.
Poison Parts of Privet
The leaves and berries of the plant are poisonous. The leaves are unlikely to be eaten by anyone, but the berries are quite similar to bird cherry.
Symptoms of Privet Poisoning
After eating poisonous privet berries, diarrhea, colic, weakness, loss of coordination, convulsions occur in 1-2 hours, in severe cases, death is possible.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - privet
Elder herb (stinky)
Elder grass is a herbaceous perennial of the honeysuckle family with an unpleasant odor, with a thick creeping rhizome, thick furrowed (sometimes sparsely pubescent) stem 60-170 cm high.
Leaves with stipules, large (17-25 cm), pinnate of 7-11 pointed leaflets, pubescent along the veins.
The inflorescence of the herbal elderberry is an umbrella-shaped panicle. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, white or reddish. The herbal elder blossoms in May - June.
Herbal elder fruits are black small berry-like drupes with 3-4 seeds and red juice. The herbaceous elder bears fruit in August-September.
Propagation elderberry herbal
The herbal elderberry is widespread in the southern part of Russia in the foothills and mountains, along the edges of forests and subalpine meadows. Often found as a weed.
Poison parts of Elder herb
Elderberry herbal leaves and flowers are poisonous. The unripe berries of elderberry are especially poisonous.
Symptoms of elderberry poisoning
The main symptoms of poisoning with poisonous elderberry berries are dizziness, headache, weakness, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Blue staining of the mucous membranes is characteristic as a result of the accumulation of oxyhemoglobin in the venous blood. Tachycardia is replaced in the later stages by bradycardia. There is shortness of breath with a delay in expiration, convulsions are possible. Death occurs from respiratory arrest due to acute heart failure.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - herbal elderberry
wolfberry, daphne
Daphne - a low shrub is called in the people a wolf's bast or a wolfberry. In April, branches of Daphne, a meter and a half tall, are almost entirely strewn with bunches of bright pink flowers, very similar to the color of lilacs. From flowering plants, a delicate peculiar aroma spreads. Daphne leaves are narrow, dark green. Poisonous berries - oval, first green, then red, ripen in late July-August.
Spread of Wolfberry
Wolfberry grows in the north of the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Caucasus. Prefers coniferous and mixed forests. It also occurs in deciduous forests.
Poison Parts of Wolfberry
Wolfberry flowers are poisonous. When Daphne pollen is inhaled, irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory tract is observed. Not only flowers are poisonous, but the whole plant. No wonder one of the names of Daphne is the deadly wolfberry.
The bark of the wolf's bast is unusually bitter in taste and, when ingested, causes a burning sensation and scratching. Subsequently, blisters and ulcers form on the mucous membranes. Touching the wet bark of daphne, wolfberry to the skin can lead to the formation of ulcers.
No less burning juice from the leaves and poisonous berries of the wolf's bast. It is extremely dangerous to get wolfberry juice into the eyes. This threatens with the formation of difficult-to-heal ulcers of the cornea.
Symptoms of Wolf's Bark Poisoning
After eating poisonous berries, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions are possible. But the wolf's bast contains not only meserein, which strongly irritates the skin and mucous membranes, but also other toxic substances, in particular several types of coumarins, which cause increased bleeding.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - wolfberry
Voronets spike-shaped black or Actaea spike-shaped
Voronets spiky is a perennial poisonous herbaceous plant up to 80 cm high, with a thin branched stem, with large, on long petioles, twice and thrice pinnate leaves. The edges of the leaves are coarsely serrated.
The flowers are white or cream, small, collected in a fluffy panicle.
The berries are green at first, black when ripe, glossy, large, oval-cylindrical with a clearly visible trace of perianth. The berries are collected in a brush.
Distribution of Voronets spike-shaped black
Spike-shaped black crow grows in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Western Siberia, in Altai, but is quite rare. Prefers shady damp places in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. Usually grows in thickets of bushes and trees. Black spike-shaped crow does not like open spaces. Blossoms in May-June, berries ripen in July-August.
Poisonous parts of Voronets spiky
The whole plant is highly poisonous. Especially poisonous are the berries of the black voronets.
Symptoms of poisoning with Voronets spike-shaped
The juice of the plant irritates the human skin, up to the formation of blisters. And even a small amount of the pulp of a poisonous berry is enough to cause severe upset in the gastrointestinal tract.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - black crow
Voronet krasnoplodny (red; spiked red)
Voronets red-fruited is a perennial herbaceous plant. The stems are thin, up to 70 cm high.
The leaves are usually thrice pinnate, with serrated margins. In appearance, the red-fruited crow is very similar to the spike-shaped crow, but differs from it, first of all, in the color of the fruit, slightly smaller berries, and also in the lighter color of the leaves.
The flowers are small, white, collected in a vertical brush-panicle.
The berries of the black crow are oblong-oval, medium in size, green at first, turn white as they ripen, and then turn red. Located on a vertical brush.
Distribution of Voronets krasnoplodny
Voronets krasnoplodny grows in coniferous and mixed forests, in the Far East, in Siberia and in the north of the European part of Russia.
Poisonous parts of Voronets krasnoplodny
All parts of the plant are poisonous. The most toxic are the berries of the black crow. Eating just two poisonous berries for a child can end tragically. But accidental poisoning with the berries of the red crow is hardly possible, since the plant has an unpleasant odor, and the berries are very bitter.
Symptoms of poisoning
Signs of poisoning with the berries of the red crow - nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate, severe upset of the gastrointestinal tract.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - Red Voronets
raven eye
The raven eye is a perennial plant of a very characteristic appearance. A low stem framed by spreading, usually four (rarely, as in the photo, five) wide leaves, ends with one single nondescript greenish flower that blooms in July-June. Then the raven eye turns the flower into a single berry, turning black by autumn. The raven eye is also known under the name of cross-grass.
Spreading the Crow's Eye
The raven eye grows in shady, damp places of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, throughout the temperate zone of Russia from Europe to the Far East. The raven eye is considered a medicinal plant, but it is better not to collect and use it on its own, since the raven eye is a poisonous plant.
Poison parts of the Crow's Eye
The crow's eye berry, like other parts of the plant, is poisonous. The plant contains saponins and cardiac glycosides.
Symptoms of Crow's Eye Poisoning
Poisoning with poisonous berries or other parts of the crow's eye causes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, a sharp drop in heart rate to 60-40 beats per minute or less, heart rhythm disturbances, ventricular flutter and cardiac arrest.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - Lily of the valley
First aid for berry poisoning
- Never pick or taste berries that you do not know.
- If you came to the forest with a child, then do not leave him unattended for a minute. Watch what berries he eats.
- If you come to an area unknown to you and the nature there is not entirely familiar to you, be sure to inquire with the locals, study the literature, browse the Internet and find out which poisonous plants are typical for this area.
- Poisonous berries are actually dangerous only for those who do not know them "by sight".
If symptoms of poisoning occur, such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, etc., seek medical attention immediately. While the doctor will go to you, do not sit idly by. After all, sometimes the arrival of an ambulance can be delayed for more than one hour.
The most first aid for poisoning with poisonous berries consists in stimulating vomiting - this procedure will free the stomach from poisonous contents. To do this, the victim needs to be given 2-4 glasses of water (activated charcoal can be added to it - 2 tablespoons per 500 ml, salt - 1 teaspoon per 500 ml or potassium permanganate). In case of poisoning with poisonous berries, the procedure will have to be carried out several times. Of the medicines, it is recommended to give the patient activated charcoal, tannin, as well as any laxative and heart remedy. In the presence of seizures will have to use chloral hydrate. If there is no first aid kit, you can give the patient black crackers, starch solution or milk. It does not hurt to also do an enema (if possible). A victim of poisoning with poisonous berries should be wrapped warmly and taken to a doctor.
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