Native Plants

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Saturday - April 30, 2011

From: Clovis, CA
Region: California
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are any cherry trees poisonous from Clovis CA?
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Are there some cherry trees that are poisonous? if so, how do you identify them?

ANSWER:

All members of the Prunus genus, which includes cherries, are poisonous. All members of this genus carry the same warning about the ingestion of leaves, twigs or seeds of fruit. These parts of the plants contain cyanogenic glycoside or cyanogens that are highly toxic and may be fatal if eaten. Cyanogenic glycosides are changed into free cyanide either in plant material that has been damaged or in the gastrointestinal tracts of animals. It is most severe in ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer) but is also very dangerous for animals with single stomachs (e.g., dogs, cats, horses, pigs).