But it's so PRETTY! The petals are my favorite color! They contrast so nicely with the bright yellow, and bright green... Aw, maaaaaaan! >.<
Yup... that's Bittersweet Nightshade, growing through the fence in my back patio. I've all ready told Raven and his buddy from down the street to steer clear of it.
I also found it growing elsewhere in the complex.
That one is about 4' tall. Don't worry... both photos were taken with a 200mm telephoto lens. I never touched 'em and I'm certainly not gonna eat 'em!
It was only after shooting the pictures and returning to the living room to download that I looked them up and discovered what they are. I will let the Apartment Manager know what they are tomorrow... he'll need to decide what to do with 'em. There are kids and pets in the complex, so he'll probably want to have the plants pulled and disposed of, just in case. Even if he doesn't, I'll likely glove up and get rid of the one in my fence to be on the safe side.
For those who really know what they are doing, Bittersweet Nightshade does have some medicinal uses (diuretic, mostly, but it also has external uses treating some skin disorders,) but I personally wouldn't mess with it, and neither should anyone else who is not a well-trained herbalist. The effective substance in it is a poison which in sufficient quantity (which isn't all that large; as little as 6 berries) can be deadly, especially to kids. This is some nasty stuff! If I have to pull the plant, I'll be throwing it in the dumpster.
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Comments: 15
LEGALIZE IT!
'a drowsy numbness fills my....
as though of hemlock.......
or drained.......
And to anyone who burns trash, leaves, etc. NEVER and I mean NEVER burn ANY poisonous plant, you inhale the fumes and then get the "infection" (like poison ivy) in your lungs, and that's a BAD thing.