To ask is this a toxic bush?? DS ate a berry!

[awwhellno]

So it's a bush in our large communal garden, he climbed up onto the raised beds saw the berries and ate one before I could jump over the bush and reach him. He is 2. I have no idea on plants and I really really hope it's not poisonous!

Sorry to post on here but I'm panicking and I know a lot of you are good with plants.

I'm very surprised 111 told you to wait and see. I'd be taking him to A&E tbh.

@doublehalo

It looks like a sarcococca.

I've googled and there are conflicting reports as to whether they're poisonous or not.

I think you may be right, otherwise known as christmas box, the report I read is the berries arent poisonous but there are so many similar looking plants its hard to tell, better to be safe

@DrawerOfDoom

I've calmed down a bit now and am thinking it's not going to be extremely poisonous because it's in a managed communal garden for several blocks of flats - surely they wouldn't be that silly?

You'd think, wouldn't you? But I asked the gardener about the berries in our communal garden and all are poisonous except one 🙄
Hope he's ok.

I agree I remember my mum removing a beautiful yellow Laburnham from our garden as she said they were very poisonous, they are fairly common plants too

She said if he were to ingest it properly then we would have seen the effects by now. Obviously to be alert and call 999 if anything changes

Well what time did he eat it at? They would usually observe for 6 hours in A&E. assuming he ate it not long before you posted then it doesn't sound right at all that you were told that.

Looks like chokecherry to me. I'd be heading to a&e.

Go to A & E . By the time whatever you're "waiting to see" happens it could have done irreparable damage. Jesus!

Our friend is a GP and my DD once ate a berry in her garden. Apparently, if it isn't yew, foxglove or a couple others (all red berries) they take a wait and see approach unless there is vomiting. DD ate a slightly toxic berry but was completely fine.

@Confrontayshunme

Our friend is a GP and my DD once ate a berry in her garden. Apparently, if it isn't yew, foxglove or a couple others (all red berries) they take a wait and see approach unless there is vomiting. DD ate a slightly toxic berry but was completely fine.

If she told you they're all red berries, then I wouldn't trust her judgement. Foxglove is a plant, with a tall normally pink flower, and the whole plant is poisonous. Other very poisonous plants in the UK include deadly nightshade (black berries) and laburnum (pea pod like fruits) both of which you should seek immediate medical help if your child ate. There are probably others, but those are ones I'm aware of.

Hemlock water dropwort (people have mistaken it for wild horse radish and been poisoned after eating the roots).

@Confrontayshunme

Our friend is a GP and my DD once ate a berry in her garden. Apparently, if it isn't yew, foxglove or a couple others (all red berries) they take a wait and see approach unless there is vomiting. DD ate a slightly toxic berry but was completely fine.

Don't rely on her knowledge then, fox glove has no berries and is toxic, rhubarb is the same.

It’s an inkberry OP

Get an app called picture this... you take a photo of the plant and it tells you the name of the plant. It works amazingly.

I did this recently as thought my son touched giant hogweed... the app told me it was common hogweed and ok to touch!

I've calmed down a bit now and am thinking it's not going to be extremely poisonous because it's in a managed communal garden for several blocks of flats - surely they wouldn't be that silly?*

The playground next to us has 4 huge yew trees in it, I’ve even rung the council to tell them to put up signs that the berries are very poisonous but they haven’t bothered!

Just a little update to say DS stayed in with me last night so I could keep an eye on him, but he was absolutely fine. If I hadn't have seen him put that berry in his mouth I wouldn't know any different. There is a good chance he did spit it out because he stuck his tongue out, but I didn't actually see it so I can't say for sure he did.

Anyway thank you for all your advice and all the best.

Glad he’s ok OP!

Phew

There are apps you can download for free and take a picture of a plant and it identifies them. Picture this I think I used before checking something last week and it worked well. Try that

Glad to hear it op.

@Confrontayshunme

Our friend is a GP and my DD once ate a berry in her garden. Apparently, if it isn't yew, foxglove or a couple others (all red berries) they take a wait and see approach unless there is vomiting. DD ate a slightly toxic berry but was completely fine.

Every part of the yew tree is poisonous- except the red berries, funnily enough.

except the red berries, funnily enough.

The pops in the yew tree berries are highly poisonous

Pips