These fruits and mushrooms appear edible but can be deadly!

The plant is very poisonous due to the high content of atropine and hyoscyanine. Both substances affect the functioning of the nervous system. The symptoms of poisoning are agitation, hallucinations, fits of rage, photophobia. The lethal dose for an adult man is about 10-20 fruits, while in children sometimes only four fruits are enough! Death occurs during a coma due to the cessation of respiratory functions. photo: Shutterstock

Elderberries resemble black currants, although this plant, due to its height, is hard to confuse with a black currant bush. However, for a black elderberry, you can successfully cut a grown chokeberry bush. Black elderberry, despite its poisonous properties, is known for its medicinal and even culinary use. The berries of this plant can be used to make tinctures and syrups, which folk medicine assigns to strengthen the body and support the treatment of colds. Fruit can also be used to make jam or juice, and flowers – for example fry tasty pancakes. In the food use of elderberry, thermal treatment is key: it deactivates the poisonous sambunigrin. Eating raw or under-processed blueberries can be dangerous. The first symptoms of lilac poisoning are dizziness, a feeling of weakness, abdominal pain, nausea. It may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, breathing problems and increased heart rate. In such a situation, a visit to the doctor is necessary.

A few berries will kill a child, a dozen or so an adult – this is the simplest way to summarize the toxic “potential” of this shrub. A small shrub can be confused with a lingonberry. Wawrzynek grows all over Europe, also in Poland, although it is a rare plant. However, it is sometimes cultivated for ornamental purposes. Gardeners who want to feast their eyes on the charms of this shrub, often prevent it from ripening its fruit even before it begins to ripen. A person unaware of the danger, especially a child, may be tempted by tasty-looking red balls. The consequences of such a decision can be dramatic. The first symptoms of poisoning are burning on the lips, tongue and throat. This is followed by drooling with difficulty swallowing. Then there is dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and finally – death. In homeopathic doses, the herb is used in the treatment of rheumatism, venereal diseases, neuralgia and cardiovascular diseases.

Honeysuckle is a shrub that grows throughout the northern hemisphere. In Poland, it grows wild in lowlands and lower parts of the mountains. It is also grown as an ornamental plant. Honeysuckle fruits are characteristic, bright red berries, often stuck together in pairs. The red balls closely resemble the fruit of ornamental apple trees – the so-called “heavenly apples”. Despite their innocent appearance, they are deadly. Consuming a few fruits can cause severe poisoning, even leading to death. The xylosteine ​​contained in the berries of honeysuckle irritates the digestive tract, disrupts the heart and the functioning of the nervous system. The typical symptoms of poisoning are vomiting, colic, respiratory and heart rhythm disturbances. Like many poisonous plants, honeysuckle, after appropriate treatment, also has medicinal uses. It contains antibiotic substances and is also used to treat cough and asthma.

Kalina is a genus of shrub plants with a total of 175 species. Only two of them grow wild in Poland: viburnum hordovina and guelder-rose. The former is relatively rare, the latter is common in almost the entire country, except for the Tatra Mountains. The fruits of the coral viburnum are appetizing, round, red berries resembling red currants. Due to their attractive appearance, they pose a threat especially to children. Although viburnum is not a highly poisonous plant, the consumption of more berries in the case of toddlers can even lead to death. However, these are extremely rare situations, the more so as the fruit does not appeal to the taste as much as it looks – they are bitter and tart. Possible poisoning will most likely result in stomach pain, dizziness and vomiting. Saponins are responsible for the toxic effects of viburnum.

The muskrat is covered with the gloomy fame of one of the most poisonous mushrooms. It is common in Poland. It can be found in deciduous and mixed forests. Inexperienced mushroom pickers run the risk of mistaking it for the chubajka kite to which it is confusingly similar. It is especially difficult to distinguish between small kites and toadstools, so never collect them – a mistake can cost you your life. On the other hand, differences between species are noticeable in mature specimens. In the case of the kite, the hat is covered with dry, brown scales, in the case of the stinkhorn – it is almost smooth, it is also distinguished by its olive green color. The kite under the hat has a woolly ring that can be slid over the stem – unlike the toadstool, which has a jagged and immobile ring. Both mushrooms clearly differ in terms of smell: the smell of the canoe is pleasant, mushroom, and the smell of the toadstool is sweet and bland. Photo Shutterstock / BE&W

It belongs to the boletus family – and it is sometimes confused with the boletus. Unlike the latter, gall fever is an inedible mushroom. Fortunately, it’s not poisonous, but it’s better to avoid it nonetheless. First, because of its bitter, searing taste, which can spoil the entire dish (one “random” mushroom is enough to make a whole pot of soup pourable!). Secondly, because bitterness can simply cause gastric ailments: stomach ache or nausea. These fungi grow mainly in coniferous and mixed forests, under pines and spruces, but they can also be found in deciduous forests. They are very similar to porcini mushrooms, or boletus. Both species, however, can be distinguished by the hat. The bitterness is covered with a delicate fluff, and the boletus is rather slippery. In addition, the stem of the boletus is covered with a brown mesh, and on the stem of the boletus, the mesh is white or beige.

Helmoid poison is a fungus with strong poisonous properties. It contains the same toxins as the toadstool. Helmówka is common throughout Central Europe. In the mountains it grows spruce and fir trees, and in the lowlands – beeches. It also grows on forest litter. Although so far in Poland no case of fatal poisoning with a helmet has been recorded, it is worth keeping the image of this mushroom in mind. This is because it is confusingly similar to the shingles – an edible fungus that also grows on tree trunks and logs. The main feature that distinguishes the helmet from the shell is the unshelled, filamentous shaft, as well as the characteristic smell reminiscent of the scent of radish. Photo BE&W O. Diez / H. Schulz

Mushroom pickers call it “false chanterelle” – from the name of the mushroom with which it is sometimes confused. Fortunately, it is not a lethal threat. The fox is not poisonous, but only inedible. It has no taste values, and excessive consumption may lead to gastric problems. The fox is common in coniferous and mixed forests. Often in larger groups, usually under fir, pine or beech trees. It differs from the edible pepper, i.e. chanterelles, with darker and more delicate fruiting bodies and denser laminae. The fox also has a narrower, more slender shaft, widening in the upper part. Photo BE&W H. Reinhard / O. Diez

Unlike the red toadstool, it is a rare and endangered species in Poland. It grows in moist sandy soils, most often in mountain coniferous forests, less often in mixed and deciduous forests. It can also be found in swamps. Venomous fly agaric, as its name suggests, is deadly to humans. It contains the same toxic oligopeptides as the toadstool. These compounds cause permanent liver damage and, consequently, death. Unfortunately, even experienced pickers can mistake this mushroom for the tuberous mushroom. The venomous fly agaric is white, has a lamellar underside of the cap and a tall, scaly root. The mushroom has a similar appearance, although its gills turn brown over time. The easiest way to distinguish both species is by smell. Therefore, in order to avoid a tragic mistake, it is worth remembering the smell of ripe mushrooms – the venomous toadstool smells completely different. Photo BE&W De Agostini Picture Library / De Agostini Picture Library