Thin-leaved snowberry-Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake-Poisonous plant

Thin-leaved snowberry

General poisoning notes:

Thin-leaved snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) is a native shrub found throughout much of Canada in woods and open slopes. The plant is also used as an ornamental shrub in many areas. The white berries contain the isoquinoline alkaloid chelidonine, as well as other alkaloids. Ingesting the berries causes mild symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and slight sedation in children. The risk of severe poisoning does not appear great because of vomiting that occurs after ingestion. Children should be discouraged from eating the attractive white fruit (Lewis 1979, Lampe and McCann 1985).

Description:

General - erect shrub, 0.5-1 m tall; often forms thickets from suckers; many branches, slender, with reddish brown, shreddy bark. Leaves - opposite, thin, oval, usually 2-4 cm long, may be slightly lobed on young stems. Flowers - in small, dense, clusters at branch tips (or in axils of upper leaves); pink to white, bell-shaped, 4-7 mm long, hairy within, stamens and non-hairy style do not protrude fromflower, appearing June to July. Fruit - white, waxy, oval to round, berry-like drupes, about 6 mm long (sometimes to 12 mm), with 2 seeds; lasts hrough winter; inedible, considered poisonous by many.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake

Vernacular name(s): thin-leaved snowberry

Scientific family name: Caprifoliaceae

Vernacular family name: honeysuckle

Geographic Information

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan.

Toxic parts:

Mature fruit.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

An isoquinoline alkaloid, chelidonine, was found in the fruits of thin-leaved snowberry. This chemical is also found in greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), an unrelated plant (Lewis 1979).

Toxic plant chemicals:

Chelidonine.

Animals/Human Poisoning:

Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.

Humans

General symptoms of poisoning:

Dizziness, vomiting.

Notes on poisoning:

Children who ingested the attractive white fruits experienced vomiting, dizziness, and mild sedation. Blood-stained urine was also reported (Lewis 1979, Cooper and Johnson 1984).