Most Common Poisonous Plants and Berries of the World
Published by Many parts of plants or fruits will harm humans and there are many berries that will kill you. There are plants that you probably recognize, without knowing that they will actually kill you. Some plants will sting you and cause you to have a reaction such as a nettle or a thistle. All plants have a defense system to prevent them from getting eaten by us or animals, some are obvious they have thorns or spikes like a rose or cactus but some are not so obvious…
Actaea Rubra
Image via wikipedia
These berries are a relative to the berries above only these ones are red in colour, they are also known as the Red Bane Berry or the China Berry. They are found in marshy grounds worldwide on riverbanks and in swampy areas. They have the same appearance as the white berry, but they are smaller and more sweet and they grow in larger clusters. The plant grows to be 31 inches tall, they have three leaves on the ends of their seperated stems, the underside of these leaves have hairs and the edges of the leaves are curled under with a jagged edge to them, unlike the white berry. As well as causing the effects of the white berry if ingested they have other damaging effects too, it can cause nausea, dizziness, gastrointestinal disfunction and can increase your pulse rate causing a fever. As little as 6 of these berries will kill an adult and it will only take two of them to kill a child.
Solanum Plants
Image via Wikipedia
There are three types of this poisonous berry depending on its location, The Caribbean, The European and the American Solanum. They are more commonly known as the Nightshade Berry because of its appearance, it is a small black or dark purple colour and can be easily mistaken for a black current. The plant grows to 1.5 meters tall, depending on where they are in the world determines the size of the leaves. The leaves grow to be 10×7cm or a little smaller, they have a reddish purple colour on the underside of the leaf, this is very important to know because they are so similar to wild black currents. When these are fully mature they contain a substance called solanine which can be very dangerous to the human anatomy. The berry colour can differ depending on the species and location of the Nightshade. They can vary from a purple colour to a dull green, or a light green to a yellow colour or the colour of the above species. The solanine in these berries can cause a range of disfunctions in the body including gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, diarrea, vomiting, hallucinations, fever, paralysation, stomach cramps, headaches, hypothermia, jaundice or burning of the throat. If you consume over 3-6 mg of this substance you will experiance all of these symtoms and you will die as a result.
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On March 19, 2009 at 5:44 am
As a gardener this article really interested me,people dont realise how dangerous plants can be,this was really a good read………..thankyou, best wishes Aaron.
On March 19, 2009 at 7:20 am
All good reasons not to go wandering through the wood sticking stuff in your mouth. Nicely done, good info.
On March 19, 2009 at 7:44 am
informative
On March 19, 2009 at 8:40 am
nicely done again, stephen. So an apple a day might actually bring the doctor, eh?
On March 19, 2009 at 10:56 am
As always, Stephen, an excellent article. The berries are so pretty but definitely not to be ingested. I didn’t know that about apple seeds. Who’d have thought?
On March 19, 2009 at 11:32 am
I never know about the apple seeds before, thanks for the information. Anyway those berries are indeed beautiful, but eating one may bring some ugly result.
On March 19, 2009 at 11:33 am
I never know about the apple seeds before, thanks for the information. Anyway those berries are indeed beautiful, but eating one may bring some ugly result.
On March 19, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Great comeback article, Steve. Well done
On March 19, 2009 at 9:13 pm
never heard of that before, thanks a lot! i learned a lot from you today!
On March 19, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I don’t know about the apple seeds I know they contain the cyanogen compound but I don’t think they will kill you I know a guy who eats several apples a day and only leaves the stem he eats everything seeds and all and has done it almost every day since I met him.
On March 19, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Actaea Rubra was one of the plants I studied while in college. What a great looking fruit but not even the birds will eat it.
On March 19, 2009 at 10:09 pm
(re: apples) “…contain a substance called cyanogen glycoside the red apples contain more of this substance and it is pretty easy to consume a fatal dose.
From what I have read, apple seeds also contain amygdalin, -a yanide & sugar compound’ that if metabolized, then turns into the poisonous hydrogen cyanide (sometimes also called “Prussic Acid.”)
This is what happens with almonds. I do find mention of ‘cyanogen glycoside’ in the ‘rose’ family, of which apple are from.
As for ‘apple a day’s worth for a week’ being harmful, the source I reviewed says not true for the amounts are minuscule and the apple seed is protected by an indigestible shell so, unless you actively chewed the seeds, you’d be fine. Still, eating the apple seeds is probably not a good idea even if you swallowed them whole for their sharps edges can tear the insides of the intestines a bit (which heals but you might see bloody stool.)
Peaches & apricots however, do have sufficient amygdalin to be potentially a threat, and the cassava root (the source of tapioca pudding) is an abundant source of cyanide.
Very interesting article. I recognized a few of these berries from local species found here in parks and woodsy areas in Toronto. :-0
On March 19, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Great article, Stephen
On March 20, 2009 at 12:56 am
While most didn’t know about the apple seeds, I did not know of the peaches and apricots. I did indeed learn a few things from this article and appreciate the lessons here. Great Job!
On March 20, 2009 at 1:43 am
Great article!@!!!!!!
On March 20, 2009 at 5:15 am
Great Article,very informative.
On March 20, 2009 at 7:54 am
Excellent article and photos.
On March 20, 2009 at 10:59 am
Animals actually will teach their young which foods are safe to eat and as a result they do learn which are poisonous.
potatoes are also members of the Solanaceae family – and also can have the same toxin – which is shy you should never eat green potatoes. other common members of this family are tomatoes, aubergines (egg plant), tobacco and capsicum
On March 20, 2009 at 11:31 am
the grammar in this article is disgusting.
On March 20, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Nice article, very fun to read. Tom: for someone complaining about grammar you should try running your comment through your filters.
Your own name lacks the capitol (T)om, and your sentence also should start with a capitol letter. At least you could spell grammar.
On March 20, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Nice article filled with information.
On March 20, 2009 at 2:55 pm
learned a valuable information here.. thanks for sharing..
On March 20, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Very important information, thanks for sharing.
On March 20, 2009 at 7:10 pm
While it is true apple seeds contain cyanogen glycoside what is left unsaid is that apple seeds pass unchanged through the digestive tract, so no poison is absorbed into one’s body.
Apple and many other fruit seeds have evolved so that they may be eaten and passed in the feces, They are still alive and will germinate. (Which insures them a source of natural fertilizer.)
On March 21, 2009 at 1:42 am
Great job, my friend. Hey, you made the hot content list. Congrats.
On March 21, 2009 at 11:35 am
Fascinating stuff. Now I know what to put in the fruit salad for unwanted guests.
On March 21, 2009 at 11:42 am
hi man , great job. Here’s an article i found that relates to global warming and is a very important issue:
http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/Depletion-of-Old-Growth-Forest.602161
On March 21, 2009 at 11:43 am
Hi, nice article. hfj i check out your article good job. Really makes you think
On March 22, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Very interesting and well written, thank you!
On March 22, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Great work, Stephen. A lot of info here.
On March 23, 2009 at 7:56 am
Awesome!
On March 23, 2009 at 9:01 am
Very valuable information. The best rule of thumb is don’t eat anything you do not know anything about.
On March 27, 2009 at 12:28 am
Very informative
On March 31, 2009 at 5:25 am
As i love gardening as well as picnicking in remote areas and woods, this article came very handy! Thanks
On May 6, 2010 at 9:15 pm
LMAO C Jordan…i was thinking the same thing =D