What’s wrong?
Deadly nightshades in Spryfield?
Who’s responsible?
Urban forester John Simmons, 490-6186.
REMARKS
Reader Virginia Heym insists that this plant, which is spreading
from an original bush in front of the fire station on Herring Cove
Road, is poisonous and a hazard to children, who might eat them.
Simmons has taken this on as a project, bringing samples to the Natural
History Museum for identification. See how this proceeds at thecoast.ca/bites.
Update:
Simmons sends the following email:
I took a look at the plant in question, it is not Deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna) but Climbing nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Climbing nightshade is fairly common in this area. I have added a web page that can give more info.
Hopefully this is helpful
John Simmons Urban Forester HRM
Send your favourite municipal malfunction to onpatrol@thecoast.ca, or call
422-6278 ext. 113. To follow up on past problems, click on thecoast.ca.
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2009.
“a hazard to children, who might eat them.”
Damn, those kids in Spryfield must be some damn hungry to be eating street shrubbery.