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PLEASE NOTE:
"Poisonous" does not mean deadly. Some manifestations of toxicity are subtle. The dose, as always, determines if a plant is safe source of nutrients or a toxic hazard.

Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions

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BRIEF: Is honeysuckle poisonous?


QUESTION:
I have a young child and I had heard that honeysuckle is poisonous. We have a bush and I want to know if I have to remove it from the yard?

ANSWER:
I never really thought native American honeysuckle is of much concern, but there is a European variety (Lonicera periclymenum and Lonicera tatarica) that can really tear up your GI tract if you eat the berries (Fuller and McClintock, Poisonous Plants of California, p. 114). I guess you need to consider which species of honeysuckle you are working with. Also, honeysuckles with berries superficially resemble Daphne species which are really toxic.