Poisonous Native Berries

Red Berries

• The red berries on Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) contain toxins that can give you a headache, nausea, and in extreme cases heart failure and death. There are between 50 to 95 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the genus Daphne. Scarlet Daphne berries contain toxins that can give you headaches, stomach upset, diarrhea, delirium, convulsions and, in extreme cases, coma and death. All species of the yew genus Taxus contain the dangerously toxic alkaloid taxene. These small, bright red berries can be lethal, causing death without warning. The common yew (T. baccata), the Pacific or western yew (T. brevifolia), the Canadian yew (T. Canadensis), dand the Florida yew (T. floridana) all bear these dangerous berries. The red berries of Holly (Ilex aquifolium) are mildly toxic and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. The enticing pinkish-red berries of the spindle (Euonymus europaeus) are highly toxic. They can damage your kidneys and liver and even kill you.

Black Berries

• The black berries of ivy (Hedera helix) contain toxic compounds that can cause delirium, convulsions, fever, hallucinations and rash. Toxins in the black berries of Jasmine (Jasminum officinale L.) can cause weakness, sweating, convulsions, respiratory failure and in extreme cases death. The moonseed (Menispermum canadense) found in Northeast and Canada is a vine that bears purplish-black berries that look like grapes. The berries contain the toxic alkaloids. Eating them can cause convulsions or seizures.

Green Berries

• The green berries of nightshade (Atropa belladonna), also called deadly nightshade, belladonna or devil’s berries contain the alkaloid that can cause hallucinations and delirium. The green berries of red sage or Spanish flag (Lantana camara) found in the southern United States can affect the heart, nervous system lungs and kidneys. Eating these berries can kill you.

White Berries

• You can safely kiss under mistletoe at Christmas time, but do not eat the white berries. Eating the berries of both the European mistletoe (Viscum album) and North American mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) can give you stomach ache and diarrhea. The white berries of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) contain the same toxins in the leaves that will give you a severe rash if you touch them. You can recognize poison ivy because it grows three leaves at the end of a stem. When in doubt, it helps to adhere to this saying: "White berries, take flight. Leaves of three, leave them be."