Shrubs With Poisonous Berries

Shrubs with bright berries add an ornamental flare to landscapes and provide food for wildlife. Berries are a nice snack for birds, but many are poisonous to humans and pets. Next time your shrub produces colorful berries, learn whether they are toxic before allowing anyone to taste them.

Yew is an attractive evergreen shrub or tree often sculpted into a hedge. Its needles are green and soft to the touch, and red berries stand out among foliage. The berry flesh is sweet and nontoxic. However, the seed inside the berry is toxic. According to the Poison Control Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, ingesting more than three berries may cause vomiting, dizziness, trouble with breathing and changes to a child’s heart rate.

Nandina (Nandina domestica), also known as heavenly bamboo, is an evergreen shrub native to Japan. Red berries add a splash of color to southern landscapes throughout the year. Besides formal plantings, nandina has a tendency to spread beyond gardens and become weedy in fields, roadsides and other disturbed areas. Though attractive, berries are potentially toxic to cats and animals that graze, according to North Carolina State University.

The plant group Lantana consists of about 150 species. In southern regions, this shrub reaches 6 feet tall. The plant produces colorful, tubular flowers that attract butterflies. Following bloom, Lantana develops berries that turn from green to black. Aggie Horticulture states that the unripe green berries are poisonous and affect the lungs, kidneys, heart and nervous system.

Mistletoe is best known as an evergreen decoration during the winter holidays. Botanically, it is a parasitic plant that grows on trees such as alder, pear, ash, walnut and silver maple. Female plants produce white berries in late fall that provide a food source for birds. Large quantities of berries are toxic for humans, causing stomach upset.