Date:         Fri, 24 Mar 2000 14:25:17 -0800
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Charlie <cmmbirds@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: birds and deadly-nightshade berries
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Rob,

No, Deadly Nightshade does not contain uroshiol,
the oil to which so many humans are allergic, and
whic thus causes those rashes.  In fact, despite
the name, Deadly Nigthshade, a member of the same
family that contains tomato, is not nearly as bad
as many other plants - some of which may be in
your backyard.  This is NOT to say it is ok to
eat it, but there are others I'd worry about
first.

Yew, an oriental bush which you can see planted
in school yards, etc through out the middle
atlantic states, is a real killer - the soft red
berries are bad enough to kill, sometimes with
few or no warning signs.

And if you or your neighbors use a chem-lawn
company, I wouldn't consider any plant in the
area safe - there have been enough documented,
and far more possible poisonings from that stuff!


Then, while you're thinking of it, house plants
are often poisonous to some degree, too.

Amazing any of us ever become adults.

Charlie

--- Robert Weiner <rweiner@GWIS2.CIRC.GWU.EDU>
wrote:
> opsreyers,
>
> do any of our local birds eat deadly nightshade
> berries?  I was planning
> to remove a large stand of the stuff from the
> backyard before my daughter
> tries to eat it, but thought I'd check first,
> as some of the plants still
> have some dried-looking berries on them from
> last fall.
>
> are the leaves and stems toxic to the touch a
> la poison ivy?  should I
> wear gloves if I remove them?
>
> I would be happy to lay off our typical bumper
> crop of weeds and vines
> this summer (pokeweed, porcelainberries, etc.)
> if I thought they were
> especially helpful to our local (DC) urban
> songbird population.  Is there
> any source of info on this?
>
> thanks for your help,
> rob
>
> Robert Weiner (rweiner@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
> George Washington University
> Washington DC 20052
> 202 994 5981
>
>
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=====
****************************************
Charlie Muise, Naturalist
Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
Maryland, USA

Question: What does a 1,000 lb. canary say? Answer: Here kitty, kitty, ki=
tty!

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