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 on household plots, as a decorative vine.
The poisonous parts of nightshade
Poisonous in nightshade are leaves, stem and fruits. As it matures poisonous properties berries of bittersweet nightshade, 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 for 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 - red nightshade
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 resembling 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 deciduous shrub(sometimes 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, Kurilakh.
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 natural form Common privet is found. 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 elderberries are dizziness, headache, weakness, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. characteristic staining of mucous membranes blue color 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 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
Voronets spike-shaped black 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 not even a large number of the pulp of a poisonous berry is enough to cause severe upset of 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 corow is very similar to the spike-shaped corow, 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 bad smell 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
raven eye - perennial very characteristic look. A low stem framed by sprawling, usually four (rarely, as in the photo, five) wide leaves, ends with one single nondescript greenish flower that blooms in July-June. Then raven eye turns the flower into one 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 local residents, read the literature, browse the Internet and find out what poisonous plants are typical for the 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. From medicines it is recommended to give the patient activated charcoal, tannin, as well as any laxative and cardiac 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.
Earlier on the topic:
For modern residents of the metropolis, a walk through the forest is an incomparable rest and joy. Fresh air, the tart smell of sun-warmed leaves creates a special mood, restores energy and vitality.
And it’s also so interesting to arrange a “silent hunt” for mushrooms and berries! With mushrooms, everything is more or less clear: we are regularly informed and reminded of dangerous species. But with berries it is more difficult. They all seem harmless, and at first glance it is very difficult to distinguish poisonous berries. Therefore, very often in the summer you can read in the news about poisoning with compote from or severe intestinal disorders after eating fresh.
Let's see what poisonous and inedible berries is in our lane.
Wolfberry(daphne)
This is a low shrub that blooms with white or light pink flowers, similar to lilacs. The fruits appear directly on the stem, ripen in July. Outwardly, the wolfberry is very attractive: bright red, shiny, juicy. Children are drawn to try these beautiful fruits. It is not difficult, because the shrub is grown as ornamental plant around houses, in city parks and gardens.
However, the wolfberry is entirely poisonous - both the leaves, the bark, and the fruits are dangerous because they contain the toxic substance daphne. If you touch the bark or rub the leaves, red, itchy spots and blisters can appear on the skin. In more severe injuries, necrosis of individual skin areas occurs.
Wolfberry also leads to severe food poisoning - for this it is enough to eat only a dozen fruits. There is a strong secretion of saliva, pain in the stomach, vomiting and convulsions, rises heat. The work of the intestines and kidneys is disturbed. recovery even with timely assistance going on for a long time.
Belladonna
This is beautiful shrub with dark green leaves that blooms in solitary large purple or purple flowers. The fruits are black, slightly flattened, similar in size and shape to small cherries. The taste is sweet and juicy.
Belladonna berries rank first in terms of toxicity, since they contain three types of poison at once: atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine. Even a small amount of fruit can lead to a slow and painful death.
Snowberry
This is an ornamental, extremely frost-resistant plant. It blooms all summer with pink elegant inflorescences, and in September-October it begins to bear fruit with white juicy balls about a centimeter in diameter. Berries adorn the shrub for a very long time - until the middle of winter.
The fruits of the snowberry are highly poisonous and can be fatal.
Buckthorn (magpie berries)
This shrub blooms with small greenish-white flowers, in place of which small berries then appear. Unripe fruits are light red, while mature fruits are black. The use of buckthorn berries is not fatal, but leads to quite severe nausea and vomiting.
raven eye
The low bushes of this plant are found only in the forest, they can be confused with blueberries or blueberries. But it is not difficult to distinguish: the berry grows singly, in the middle of a four-leaf corolla it has a very unpleasant odor. One or two berries are not very dangerous, but large quantity may lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
And buckthorn, and affect only gastrointestinal tract. The well-known honeysuckle also belongs to such toxic, but non-lethal berries.
Adults, as a rule, are careful not to try unfamiliar wild specimens. But children can be tempted by beautiful multi-colored fruits.
What to do if the child managed to taste poisonous berries?
First, you need to induce vomiting as soon as possible. Before that, let the child drink a little weak to oxidize in the stomach.
After the stomach has cleared, it is necessary to drink the child with a mixture of crushed activated carbon and water.
If possible, you need to do an enema to clean the intestines.
If there is inflammation on the skin, then wash the damaged areas with a solution of potassium permanganate.
After providing first aid, be sure to go to the hospital.
Botanical characteristic
The common wolfberry, translated as Daphne mezereum, the plant also has a number of other names, for example, wolf bast, upland wolf pepper, wolf berries. Its height is not more than a meter, but sometimes it can reach 200 centimeters. This shrub is covered with yellow-gray bark, which is somewhat wrinkled.
The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, they are green above, and slightly bluish below, they are narrowed into a rather short petiole closer to the base, alternate, crowded at the ends of the branches. The flowers are pink in color, sessile, fragrant, their smell is a bit like hyacinth, nail-shaped corolla.
Three flowers are located in the axils of the leaves, which remained from last year. characteristic feature This shrub is considered the fact that it begins to bloom even before the appearance of the first leaves.
As for the fruits, they are light red berries that have an ovoid, somewhat elongated shape, which makes them recognizable, and this is important, since they are very poisonous, and in no case should you eat them!
Spreading
The wolf's bast shrub is common in the European part of our country, in Siberia, in the Caucasus. He prefers to be localized in a shady area, and the soil should be fertile, well fertilized. You can see it on the forest edges.
Used part
For therapeutic purposes, flowering branches, as well as the bark, are used in the common wolfberry. These parts of the plant contain coumarins, moserein, glycosides, daphnin, gum, resins, dyes, and wax.
Collection and preparation
The bark is usually prepared in early spring before the start of the flowering of the wolf's bast. Since the plant is extremely poisonous, it is necessary to collect raw materials only with rubber gloves, and after work, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water so as not to accidentally bring toxic substances into the oral cavity.
The collected raw materials should be cut into smaller pieces and placed in an automated drying chamber, which maintains the optimal temperature regime, in this case it should not exceed fifty degrees.
When the raw material is completely dry, it should be packaged in cloth bags, which should be sewn from natural materials. They are recommended to be placed in a ventilated area. The shelf life should not exceed three years, since after this time the bark will exhaust its medicinal properties and become unusable.
Wolfberries - application:
Let me remind you once again, dear reader, that the plant is very poisonous! However, in the past, the poisonous berry wolf's bast was used as a laxative, poultices were prepared from its bark, which were used to treat abscesses and boils.
Wolf berry berries have found their application in homeopathy, of course, these drugs should be used on the recommendation of a doctor, for example, there is such a remedy as Mezereum, it is made from fresh wolfberry bark and is prescribed for dermatological diseases, for example, eczema, dermatitis, and trophic ulcers, with itchy rashes and herpes zoster.
Warning
If the juice of the plant in a concentrated form falls on skin, this can lead to severe burns, which can even cause tissue necrosis. Therefore, if a similar situation accidentally occurs, it is worth immediately washing the causal area with a 2% manganese solution.
The first signs of poisoning with berries will be expressed by the following symptoms, an unbearable burning sensation in the oral cavity, pain in the epigastric region, dyspeptic phenomena, which are manifested by nausea and subsequent vomiting, as well as possible violations from nervous system in the form of convulsions.
In this case, you should immediately call an ambulance, and while she is driving, you need to repeatedly rinse the stomach, and drink about twenty tablets of activated charcoal, and wait for the arrival of medical personnel. Remember, it is enough for a person to consume literally a couple of berries of a wolf's bast, and this can lead to death from cardiac arrest, so be very careful!
Recipes
Decoction preparation. You will need twenty grams of bark, which must first be crushed and poured with boiling water. After that, the container should be put on the stove, and evaporated until exactly half of the liquid remains. It should be taken one drop three times a day, after dissolving it in a small amount of boiled water.
Preparation of tincture. Take one gram of bark for sixty milliliters of alcohol or vodka, and place the container in dark place for one week, the drug should be shaken daily, and then filtered, and taken drop by drop, diluted in water, three times a day.
Ointment preparation. You will need five milliliters of tincture, which must be mixed with ten grams butter. The resulting mixture can be used to treat joints with arthritis, as it will have a slight analgesic effect. Store the drug should only be in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Remember, the poisonous wolfberry plant is quite dangerous, so be extremely careful when collecting and using it, and it is advisable to consult a doctor in order to clarify the dose of drugs taken.
Wolf's bast(wolfberry, wolfberry, wolfberry, daphne, Daphne) - an evergreen semi-deciduous or deciduous shrub from the Timeleev family ( Thymelaeaceae). AT kind daphne about 50-95 species growing in Europe, Asia and North America In nature wolf's bast grows in forests, lowlands and highlands. Wolfmen, originating from mountainous areas, are usually deciduous and more frost-resistant, and those that live in the lowlands are evergreen and more thermophilic. In Russia wolf's bast refers to endangered plants, all of its species are listed in the Red Book.
Wolfberry- one of the earliest flowering shrubs, some species bloom literally "from under the snow." In winter (in warmer regions) or early spring (in central Russia) wolf's bast covered with a cloud of delicate and unusually fragrant flowers, which are white, cream, pink, purple and crimson flowers. wolfberry flowers bisexual tubular star-shaped with four petals. After the end of flowering wolf's bark bright berries are formed. Due to the fact that the flowering of some species wolfberry falls at the very beginning of the season, when the activity of pollinating insects is still relatively low, on some shrubs there are very few berries.
Bark wolf's bark very tough and durable. Bast, ropes, ropes and paper were produced from it ( Daphne mezereum, Daphne bholua). It is to this property that the plant owes its name.
Wolf bast (Daphne): planting, care, reproduction
Majority wolves prefers moist, permeable soils with plenty of humus, partially protected location and partial shade. Some species can tolerate both full shade and open space ( Daphne bholua), but will not tolerate prolonged overheating of the roots. During hot periods of the year wolfberry watering required.
wolf grow up slow and do not need pruning. They also really dislike having their roots disturbed. Therefore, adult transplantation should be avoided whenever possible. wolfberry bushes, and young ones should be transplanted once, with a clod of earth, immediately to a permanent place. propagate wolves green or semi-woody summer cuttings, grafting in cool periods of the year, root suckers in spring or seeds. Kinds Daphne, giving many root processes, you can propagate with their help, trying not to disturb root system mother plant.
wolves occasionally affected by viruses, gray mold and aphids.
Daphne (wolf's bast) in garden design
wolf looks great in natural forest gardens among other trees and shrubs: due to their low height, they are well suited for the front edge of a shrub border. Walking along the path past the blooming wolf's bark, you can feel its exquisite aroma. Due to its compactness, daphne are of particular interest to small gardens. Can be grown wolf's bast and as an informal fence.
traditional neighbors wolfberry in the garden are rhododendron, azalea, camellia, magnolia, mahonia, witch hazel and other early flowering and shade-tolerant shrubs and trees. Not far from daphne traditional spring bulbs and primroses can be successfully grown.
All parts wolf's bark poisonous! Juice in contact with skin plants causes serious irritation, and if ingested - food poisoning, up to death. Special care must be taken by those who have children. In this case wolf's berries it is better to cut off immediately after their formation, until they have acquired a bright red color that is attractive to children.
Types and varieties of wolfberry in horticultural culture
Wolfberry ordinary deadly, wolf's bast (Daphne mezereum)- compact (up to 1 m in height) forest shrub, widely distributed in Eurasia, Moscow region and Middle lane. Mass flowering occurs on new shoots before the opening of the first leaves. The flowers are white (in the form alba), cream or lilac-pink, red berries. Frost resistance: from climatic zone 4.
- one of the most valuable species in culture due to early flowering. It comes from East Asia and the Himalayas. Upright plant up to 2.5 m. Winter hardiness limit - zone 6. Varieties: Darjeeling(earliest flowering) Alba, Peter Smithers, Jacqueline Postill, Glacialis Ghurka.
Fragrant wolf (Daphne odora)- lush shrub up to 1.5 m, originating from China. The flowers are white, with dark pink tips, very fragrant. There is a two-color and very cold-resistant form Aureomarginata, the dark green leaves of which are decorated with a narrow uneven yellowish border around the edge (see photo).
Tangut wolf (Daphne tangutica)– medium size (up to 1 m) evergreen shrub spherical shape with narrow dark green leaves up to 8 cm in length. The flowers are fragrant, light pink inside and pink-lilac outside, located at the ends of the shoots, the berries are red. Blooms in late spring - early summer. Within the species there is a group of dwarf evergreen shrubs with large red berries. Retusa(sometimes plants are called that, Daphne retusa ). Frost resistance limit: zone 7.
Wolf x Berkwood (Daphne x burkwoodii)- compact semi-deciduous shrub, up to 1 m high and wide, with small pink-purple flowers late spring. Cold resistance - from zone 4.
wolf x neopolitan (Daphne x napolitana)- compact heat-loving evergreen shrub, up to 75 cm high. Cold resistance limit: zone 7.
Wolf wolf (Daphne cneorum)- a small (up to 50 cm in height) evergreen ground cover shrub with narrow oblong leaves and bright pink flowers at the ends of the shoots.
Bay wolf (Daphne laureola)- a rare species originating from the Mediterranean, characterized by high shade tolerance.
Dapne patraea with large color Grandiflora.
Daphne x transatlantica "Blafra"- with fragrant flowers that appear on the plant throughout the summer
Hello dear reader!
July, and especially August, is the season of the most diverse forest 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 health care! 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 bush forest. Highly beautiful in spring, the 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, here, too, taxonomy issues are 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 decreasing. 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. Main active ingredients- 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 spring, putting them in a vase in a room either - 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, he has large compound leaves with serrated margins. 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 folk 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 red-fruited crow widely inhabits the forest zone in the Far East, Eastern and Western Siberia. It is also found in the north of the European part.
Voronets krasnoplodny (photo from the Internet)
By appearance 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. It can even result in death due to paralysis. 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 translation from Italian - " beautiful woman". Yes and Russian name 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. Severe poisoning when they are used will not. 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. The fruits and bark of buckthorn are medicinal raw material. 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. Plants take in a lot of air from the air. harmful substances. 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 this! There are people who have allergic reaction for 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.
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- 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
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- 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 adhere to the rule with the children - in the forest, do not collect or eat anything familiar - for one edible berry- five dangerous comes 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.
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- 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
