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POISONOUS PLANTS
It is recommended that you become familiar with some of the poisonous plants in your region if you get interested in harvesting from the wild. Many poisonous plants will probably only cause an upset stomach or possible diarrhea. Very few naturally-occurring plants in my bioregion will actually kill or cause serious harm. Use caution and common sense and you should have a safe and enriching experience sampling Nature’s bounty.
Plants that may cause contact dermatitis (rashes) include: *Poison Ivy *Poison Sumac (white berries) *Wild Parsnip-very serious rash, grows abundantly in this area. LEARN THIS PLANT!!! *Nettles
Plants that may result in death or harm: *Many species of mushrooms. Use extreme caution when sampling mushrooms. Be absolutely certain before even tasting wild mushrooms. *Poison Hemlock-even small amounts may result in paralysis & death. Looks similar to Queen Anne’s Lace. *Water Hemlock-our deadliest species. A single mouthful can kill. Found in wet meadows and swamps. *Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) *Baneberries (red & white) *Dogbane-can be confused with young milkweed shoots, but is uncommon in our region. *Deadly nightshade *Monkshood (very poisonous) *Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Skunk Cabbage (tasting can cause severe burning of the mouth) *Virginia Creeper *Buckthorn berries (strong laxative effect) Plant families to use caution around: *Parsley (umbilliferae) *Nightshade *Wild ‘peas’
Exotic plants: *Exotic plants and shrubs used in landscaping as well as common houseplants are often highly toxic. Most of our plant poisoning incidents are caused by these, ie. children sampling bright berries or fallen leaves from houseplants.
If you ever experience an adverse reaction from ingesting a plant, save a sample of the plant that you believe caused it and contact the Poison Control Hotline for advice.
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