Please see - http://users.eggconnect.net/xanadu/plants.html

On 23 Jan, 15:51, gargoyle47 wrote:
Please see -http://users.eggconnect.net/xanadu/plants.html

Hedera helix - ivy.
http://www.kbsbioshots.co.uk/plant05269.htm

In article afe85e5b-657f-4b91-96f7-
, says...
Please see - http://users.eggconnect.net/xanadu/plants.html

Hedera helix, the ordinary wild Ivy, the birds will eat the berries when
they start to go soft, Blackbirds mostly, then you have the joy of
pulling all the generously gifted seedlings as the blackbird's toilet
habits leave a lot to be desired!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

In article ,
Charlie Pridham writes:
| In article afe85e5b-657f-4b91-96f7-
| , says...
| Please see - http://users.eggconnect.net/xanadu/plants.html
|
| Hedera helix, the ordinary wild Ivy, the birds will eat the berries when
| they start to go soft, Blackbirds mostly, then you have the joy of
| pulling all the generously gifted seedlings as the blackbird's toilet
| habits leave a lot to be desired!

However, whether the berries are poisonous to humans is less clear.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 23 Jan, 17:44, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
However, whether the berries are poisonous to humans is less clear.

I've never came across (and I've read extensively on wild foods from
agroforestry to 'free food') anyone eating ivy berries or suggesting
to eat them. As far as I know they are toxic and not to be eaten. Why
do you say it 'is less clear'. Do you think that it hasn't been proven
or there is still some uncertainty about it? Because if there is I'd
love to know - I've got enough, after the blackbirds, to still feed my
family all winter!

In article , writes:
| On 23 Jan, 17:44, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
| However, whether the berries are poisonous to humans is less clear.
|
| I've never came across (and I've read extensively on wild foods from
| agroforestry to 'free food') anyone eating ivy berries or suggesting
| to eat them. As far as I know they are toxic and not to be eaten. Why
| do you say it 'is less clear'. Do you think that it hasn't been proven
| or there is still some uncertainty about it? Because if there is I'd
| love to know - I've got enough, after the blackbirds, to still feed my
| family all winter!

I thought that my remark was quite clear! To paraphrase, I don't know.

To cut a long story short, there is good evidence that making a meal
of the berries might harm you (and Culpeper says just that), but
precious little detail beyond vague weebling about saponins. Given
that several of our common foods and spices are poisonous in
overdose, what do YOU think?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 23 Jan, 20:42, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
I thought that my remark was quite clear! *To paraphrase, I don't know.
To cut a long story short, there is good evidence that making a meal
of the berries might harm you (and Culpeper says just that), but
precious little detail beyond vague weebling about saponins. *Given
that several of our common foods and spices are poisonous in
overdose, what do YOU think?

Yes, like you I've heard that saponic glycoside is in the berries and
leaves and that its toxicity is rated 'Low'. Also the berries are
beleived to be more dangerous green than black. It's true that there's
very little about it. I had never noticed. All my books rate the
toxicity but don't give any potion/recipes making or interesting facts
about it. But beside this I never heard anything else nor did I read
anything about eating them when they are so available! I've heard that
Pliny did hangover cure with the leaves and one of my books by Lesley
Bremnes mentions that cosmetic products use hedera. Birds eating the
berries also don't taste as nice when eaten themselves - perhaps a bit
bitter? I think I'm going to look closer at it and will let you know.

I therefore would think that we shouldn't eat them. And I wouldn't try
- that is until I've found a bit more about it ;o)

In article ,
says...

In article , writes:
| On 23 Jan, 17:44, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
| However, whether the berries are poisonous to humans is less clear.
|
| I've never came across (and I've read extensively on wild foods from
| agroforestry to 'free food') anyone eating ivy berries or suggesting
| to eat them. As far as I know they are toxic and not to be eaten. Why
| do you say it 'is less clear'. Do you think that it hasn't been proven
| or there is still some uncertainty about it? Because if there is I'd
| love to know - I've got enough, after the blackbirds, to still feed my
| family all winter!

I thought that my remark was quite clear! To paraphrase, I don't know.

To cut a long story short, there is good evidence that making a meal
of the berries might harm you (and Culpeper says just that), but
precious little detail beyond vague weebling about saponins. Given
that several of our common foods and spices are poisonous in
overdose, what do YOU think?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I don't know, but are they like yew berries in that the most toxic bit is
the seed which passes through the birds gut while the flesh is edible?
(at least for blackbirds!) The birds certainly will not touch them until
they reach the over ripe stage and are starting to drop.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea