Yesterday, while a friend and I were looking for my surprising small amount of plantain growing, I asked her about a lovely vine-like plant that is growing all along our fence. She informed me that it was of the Nightshade family. My tomato plants are in the near vicinity and I thought of course of those first and didn't give it another thought other than to repeat my mantra to the kids to never eat a berry without asking an adult. We have raspberries and blueberries and mulberries and cherry tomatoes that are all for the kids to eat at their discretion. All within an arms length of this Nightshade plant. It wasn't until I was somewhere within a half dreamy half awake state that the words floated into my mind..."Deadly Nightshade...Belladonna". Thankfully, this particular plant is not Belladonna but the closely related Woody Nightshade. Also poisonous, and medicinal, but can be deadly to children. I spent some time fraught with fear, my toddler has squished those berries in his fingers, I've had many friends with young children over and there in the "safe" backyard lurked a deadly, beautiful, plant with sweet berries taunting the children to taste.
"You see my berries, how they gleam and
glow,
Clear ruby-red, and green, and orange-
yellow;
Do they not tempt you, fairies, dangling so?"
The fairies shake their heads and answer "No!
You are a crafty fellow!"
"What, won't you try them! There is
naught to pay!
Why should you think my berries poisoned
things?
You fairies may look scared and fly away-
The children will believe me when I say
My fruit is fruit for kings!"
But all good fairies cry in anxious haste,
"O children, do not taste!"
