How can I identify a poison wild blackberry plant while walking in the forest? Is there any poison wild blackberry plant? if they are your questions, keep reading to tell you about my experiences in distinguishing blackberries from other plants with toxic black berry-like fruits.
I have PhD in plant protection science and wild plant Identification is one of my interests. Blackberries are delicious edible wild plants belonging to the genus Rubus. I discussed the Blackberries identification in my other post but another question that people often ask me is about the poison wild blackberry plant identification.
You must know that all blackberries are edible with no poisonous look-alikes. However, there are some poisonous plants such as wild Nightshade berries with dark blue to black berry-like fruits. You can distinguish them from Blackberry easily due to significant differences in their appearance and they belong to other plant species.
Although Some people consider these poisonous plants as poison wild blackberries, the only similarity between them and blackberries is their small black round fruits. In the following, I will provide you with the names and pictures of 7 of the poison wild blackberries with their images and will teach you how to distinguish them from real blackberries.
➡ You can also hear the audio version of this article.
As I told you above, there aren’t any poison blackberries but in this part, I want to provide you with the images and tips to distinguish between blackberries from 7 black berry-like plants which are toxic. Please compare them with the above image of the blackberry plant. keep reading.
Scientific name: Phytolacca americana
Other common names: Inkberry, American nightshade, Pigeonberry
Toxicity of Pokeweed berries:
You may be shocked if you tell you that almost all parts of the Pokeweed plant (berries, roots, and leaves) contain toxic substances. Never eat the berries, they are very toxic, especially if ingested in large quantities.
How to distinguish Blackberry from Pokeweed berries?
As you can see in the image, Pokeweed berries are significantly different from Blackberries. Its round dark purple to black fruits of Pokeweed berries are larger than blackberries. You find them in clusters that droop from the stems.
You can also distinguish them based on their leaves. Plant leaf identification is one of my challenging hobbies. You can easily distinguish the pokeweed plant with its large, simple, alternate leaves that are located on a thick, reddish-purple stem.
Scientific name: Solanum nigrum
Other common names: Black nightshade berries, Garden huckleberry
Toxicity of Nightshade Berry:
However this plant is called Garden huckleberry, but it is significantly different from edible wild huckleberry which belongs to the Vaccinium genus. Nightshade berry is another plant with small black round fruits that you must avoid eating. its berry-like fruits are poisonous particularly when consumed in large quantities. one of the toxic compounds that are reported from Nightshade berries is solanine which will cause gastrointestinal discomfort and other symptoms.
How to Distinguish Blackberry from Nightshade Berry?
You will find the fruits of Nightshade berries smaller than blackberry fruits. The berry-like fruits of Nightshade berries grow in clusters and are first green, however, they will turn black when ripe.
You can easily distinguish Nightshade berries from blackberries with their simple leaves. the leaves are irregularly toothed margins. Nightshade berries also have herbaceous and branching stems.
Scientific name: Hedera helix
Other common names: English ivy berries, Common ivy berries
Toxicity of Ivy berries
You must consider the Ivy berries toxic if ingested. So, avoid eating them, especially in large quantities that will cause gastrointestinal upset. I also found skin irritation reports about this plant.
How to distinguish Blackberry from Ivy berries?
Ivy berries’ fruits come in dark purple to black when ripe and are smaller than blackberry fruits. You will find them in clusters and as I said above you must avoid eating them. Ivy berries have evergreen leaves (similar to other ivy plants) that let you distinguish them from Blackberries.
Although the leaves of Ivy berries are lobed and glossy, are significantly different from blackberries. Similar to other Ivy Plants, they are climbing vines that can attach to surfaces with their aerial rootlets.
Scientific name: Hedera rhombea
Other common names: Oriental ivy, Japanese creeper
Toxicity of Japanese ivy:
I read in articles that there is a saponin, Hederin, in fruits, leaves, and stems of Wild Japanese ivy that is toxic. However, due to its spasmolytic and expectorant properties, this plant is used medically for the treatment of respiratory disorders
How to distinguish Blackberry from Japanese ivy?
This plant is very similar to Ivy berries and the points mentioned for them are right here too.
Scientific name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Other common names: Woodbine berries, Five-leaved ivy berries
Toxicity of Virginia creeper berries:
In some articles, I find reports that the berries of Virginia creeper are moderately toxic. However, some articles consider it a safe plant for pets and humans. By and large, I think you should avoid eating this wild plant with black berry-like fruits.
How to Distinguish Blackberry from Virginia creeper berries?
Virginia creeper berries have bluish-black fruits (when ripe) which are smaller than blackberry. As you can see in the picture they come in clusters. Virginia creeper has compound leaves but I want to tell you a point to distinguish it from blackberries. The leaves of Virginia creeper berries are composed of five leaflets but the blackberry leaves have 3 leaflets.
Scientific name: Cotoneaster Lucidus
Other common names: Peking cotoneaster, Shiny cotoneaster
Toxicity of Hedge Cotoneaster:
There are various beliefs about the toxicity of Hedge Cotoneaster. I read articles that said the Hedge Cotoneaster berries can be toxic if they are eaten in quantity.
How to Distinguish Blackberry from Hedge Cotoneaster?
You will find the berries of Hedge cotoneaster in red to black colours while they are smaller than blackberries. As you know the blackberries appear from late spring to early summer but the berries of Hedge cotoneaster persist on the plant into the winter.
Another way to distinguish between blackberry and Hedge cotoneaster is the appearance of their leaves. The leaves of Hedge cotoneaster are small, elliptical to lance-shaped. In addition, unlike the blackberries that are trailing vines, Hedge cotoneaster is a shrub with a woody stem.
I as a horticultural counsellor whose plant identification is one of my interests, always advise people to get help from the plant identifiers. They are free online tools that can identify plants with their images. One of the best plant identifiers that I tested is the “House Plant Identifier” which can identify house plants along with trees, flowers, and ornamental and wild plants.
When you spot a berry and can’t identify it, you can enter this tool, take an online picture, and click on the “Start” button. It will tell you its name in only 2 seconds with high accuracy. I also tested the “House Plant Identifier” to identify mushrooms and plant diseases and found it works well.
If you love walking in jungles and finding delicious berries like blackberries, you must be an expert in blackberry identification. Most people are worried about poisonous berries and want to know about poison wild blackberry plant identification.
After reading this article you found out that there isn’t any poison wild blackberry plant and those that people call wild poison blackberry plants are different species with significantly different appearance. You learned how to distinguish them from real blackberry plants. Please tell me how you identify blackberry plants. please share your experiences with our readers below this page.
Hi, I’m Elaheh. My Academic major is plant protection, and houseplants are my expertise. As a houseplant lover, my house is full of indoor plants and it is my passion to take care of them. Hence, I’m here to share my knowledge and experience about growing healthy houseplants. I am also a plant protection advisor, so feel free to ask me any questions you may have.