Watch out for poisonous plants! # 1 Mezereum

When collecting forest fruits and herbs, be careful, because not all plants have a beneficial effect on our body.
Some of them are poisonous, on my list the first place is taken by:
Daphne mezereum, commonly known as mezereum, mezereon, February daphne, spurge laurel or spurge olive, is a species of Daphne in the flowering plant family Thymelaeaceae,
The species was introduced in North America and was considered an invasive plant in the USA.

Description

• This not very tall shrub is easiest to meet in early spring, because it blooms even before the leaves develop, sometimes among the last patches of snow.
• The whole plant is highly toxic.
• Already eating 10 fruit by an adult and 1-2 by a child can end tragically.
• Also harmful to skin and mucous membranes and direct contact may cause swelling or blisters.
• Interestingly, the laurel fruit is eaten by some birds without adversely affecting their health.
• Although all parts of the laurel have dangerous toxins, but it is ripe berries that pose the greatest threat.
• They usually take on an intense red color, which often means danger in nature, but in our world this warning has lost its relevance.
• Among toxins that are contained in plant tissues, there are mainly dafnetoxin and mezerein.

Effects after consuming the laurel fruit:

• a number of serious disorders may occur.
• initially swelling in the mouth and esophagus,
• then acute headaches begin,
• stomach and bloody diarrhea, after which the kidneys, the circulatory system and the central nervous system are damaged quite quickly.
• poisoning with this plant may even result in death in a quarter of cases.

Appearance

Flowers pink, rarely white, fragrant, inconspicuous, fourfold, bisexual, three in scars from last year's leaves.
Double-pillar post, eight stamens.
Honey plant, nectar is secreted by gingerbreads located at the base of the pistil.
The whole plant has an upright habit and grows up to only about 1 m in height.

In the garden

Tolerates pruning very badly and grows back poorly after such a treatment.
He also doesn't like transplanting, so it's better to choose a permanent place for him right away.
Is a shrub completely resistant to frost.
Propagates well from seeds.