Red poison berries

Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
 
 May lily.
 
  May lily
Harilik leseleht
 Maianthemum bifolium    
 
Its small red berries reveal the May lily where it grows: in shadowy woods, at their fringes too. The leaves, usually two and now already faded, are heart-shaped.

The berries of this relative of the lily of the valley are poisonous to humans. The berry contains one seed, and birds spread it, with a suitable dose of fertilizer, which is one of the plant’s propagation modes. An Estonian folk name is “metsviinamari”, forest grape, and the berries actually have a sweet taste. Eating 3-4 grams may be dangerous for children. But let’s do a calculation: one berry weighs something like 0.06 gram, and there isn’t a lot of them where the May lily grows, so poisoning cases from it aren’t common; it is more of an autumn delight for the eyes

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