Berries and Seeds
During the summer and fall, the Poison Control Center receives several calls each day about children who have eaten wild berries and seeds. To prevent your child from eating poisonous berries and seeds be aware of what grows around you. Here is some basic information about plants commonly found in this region.
Poisonous and non-poisonous Berries
Poisonous Seeds
Awareness and prevention
General dos and don'ts
Berries
Poisonous berries
If your child has swallowed something that you suspect might be poisonous, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
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American Bittersweet
A woody vine often used in fall wreaths and dried flower arrangements. Its orange-yellow berries are three-part capsules with a seed in each part. They grow at the point where the leaves join the stems. Eating American Bittersweet berries can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.
Cotoneaster
An evergreen shrub that tends to grow upright with long branches rather than as a bush. Its bright orange berries grow in clusters so thick that the branches cannot be seen. Cotoneaster is poisonous in large amounts.
Holly
An evergreen shrub that can grow to be a tree. The leaves are stiff with sharp points and may be edged with white. The berries are hard and bright red. Eating more than 3 holly berries can cause severe and prolonged nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as drowsiness.
Juniper
An evergreen tree often used in holiday decorations. Its blue-purple berries have been used in recipes for flavoring. The safety of juniper berries as a food item is questionable since abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported when large amounts were eaten.
Pokeweed
This weed can grow up to five feet tall and has thick green-purple stems similar to rhubarb. Pokeweed berries (also known as ink berries) grow in clusters, like grapes, and ripen from white to green to rose and finally purple. Ripe berries stain the hands purple when crushed. Eating over 10 berries may cause headache, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea. The leaves and the roots have been used in herbal preparations to induce vomiting.
Yew
An evergreen shrub with soft bright green needles similar to the "Christmas tree." The berries are soft red capsules with a hard green stone in the center. Eating more than three yew berries can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, difficulty in breathing, and changes in your child's heart rate.
Non-poisonous berries
Dogwood Tree
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A spring flowering tree which bears pink or white flowers. In the fall, bright red berries appear at the point where the leaves meet the branches. Dogwood berries are not toxic when eaten, but there have been reports of rashes after skin contact with the tree.
Honeysuckle
A woody climbing vine that produces sweetly fragrant white or yellow flowers. Children often like to suck the honey from the flowers in the spring. In the fall, the vine produces red or orange berries. Neither the flowers nor the berries are reported to be poisonous.
Mistletoe
An evergreen herb with white to pink berries used to decorate for the holidays. Mistletoe berries are considered relatively non-toxic in small quantities. Large amounts of the berries can cause stomach upset. Other parts of the plant can also cause visual disturbances and convulsions. Such complications have been associated with ingesting extracts of the plant (e.g., tea).
Pyracantha
Also known as "Fire Thorn" because the thorns can cause an irritating rash. An evergreen shrub with orange-red and yellow berries which grow in clusters. The bright colored berries make it a popular landscaping choice. Pyracantha berries are not considered poisonous unless large amounts are eaten; some sources even report them to be edible.
Wild strawberries
A wild version of the edible strawberry. It looks exactly like the strawberry you may find in a grocery store, but the taste is not as sweet. Wild strawberries are not poisonous. They grow in the spring, summer and fall.
Seeds
Poisonous seeds
If your child has swallowed something that you suspect might be poisonous, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
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Four O'clock
A bush, one to two feet high, with red or yellow flowers. It blooms in the summer and forms seeds which are round or pointed in shape. The seeds can cause stomach upset and cramping.
Foxglove
A low-growing bushy plant that forms a tall stalk with bell-shaped flowers. The flowers can be any shade of pink, peach, white, or yellow. They have brown spots. All parts of the foxglove are poisonous and can cause changes in the rate and rhythm of the heart.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Found in woody areas, this pitcher-shaped wild flower develops a stalk with a cluster of seeds at the top. Eating the seeds can cause mouth pain and discomfort.
Lily-of-the-Valley
A popular plant that grows from a bulb in the spring. It blooms with little white bell-shaped flowers on a short stalk. Bright orange seeds appear in both summer and fall. Eating more than three berries can affect your child's heart rate.
Morning Glory
A decorative vine with rose, purple or white trumpet-shaped flowers. In the fall, the flowers become round, brown capsules with 2 or 3 black seeds. Eating the seeds may cause drowsiness and confusion.
Sweet Peas
An ornamental vine with bean-like pods. Eating the peas repeatedly may cause muscle weakness and difficulty breathing.
Awareness and Prevention
Awareness and prevention are the best defenses against the accidental ingestion of poisonous berries and seeds. Here are a few steps you can take to help protect your child:
- Know the name of the plants growing in and near your home. If possible, write the scientific and common names of the plants on a weather-proof tag and attach it to the plant. If you’re not sure of this information, take a cutting (a six to eight inch piece that includes leaves, berries and flowers) from the shrub to a garden center, nursery or florist for identification. If an accidental ingestion does happen, this information will be very helpful to the Poison Control Center.
- Check your children's play areas often for growing weeds and remove them before your children find them. Clean up fallen seeds or pods from nearby trees.
- Consider using artificial berries for indoor decorations; they are an alternative to live berries that may be poisonous.
If, in spite of your best efforts at prevention, your child eats unknown or poisonous berries or seeds, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 as well as your child’s doctor.
General Dos and Don'ts
- Teach your children never to put leaves, stems, bark, seeds, nuts or berries from any plant into their mouths.
- Make an effort to keep poisonous house plants, bulbs and seeds out of your home and garden (or at least out of reach of young children).
- Learn to identify the poisonous plants in your neighborhood.
- Do not assume a plant is not poisonous because birds or other wildlife eat it.
- Do not rely on cooking to destroy toxic chemicals in plants.
- Do not prepare home remedies from plants.
Reviewed by: Fred M. Henretig, MD, FAAP, FACMT
Date: July 2012