DANGEROUS BERRIES

These berries are called 'White Baneberry' fruit, although they are commonly known as ‘Dolls Eyes’. They are highly poisonous – in fact, the entire plant (leaves, stems, etc.) is considered poisonous to humans. The berries contain carcinogenic toxins that have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle tissue. Ingestion can lead to cardiac arrest and death. However, the berries are harmless to birds, which are the primary seed distributors of the plant.

Today my special blip assistant installed a suet feeder and pulley system on a tree on our wooded lot. It’s been so much fun watching the variety of birds that have come to the seed feeder, so I’m hoping the suet will attract even more. While in the woods, I spied this eye-catching little berry (approx. 1 cm. diameter). Yikes! I never knew we had such a dangerous plant on our property!