The forest always attracts people with its beauty. It served people as shelter, gave food, and protected them from dangers. Today, people no longer need to protect the forest. He comes under his roof to recharge himself with energy and stock up on vitamins, which are given in abundance by the riches of the forest. A plant with edible fruits can be found in any corner of the green area.

However, the forest can be fraught with many dangers. This refers not only to wild animals, but also which can be quite difficult to distinguish from medicinal or simply edible ones. It is important to know them in person in order to reduce the risk of error to a minimum. Forest berries are found in sufficient quantities in nature. A plant with edible fruits - the names and special characteristics of the most common berries in our latitudes are presented below - you need to be able to distinguish.

Blackberry - forest berries

A plant with edible fruits (there are wild and cultivated plantings) can often be confused with poisonous ones. However, the same cannot be said about blackberries. This shrub is known even to children thanks to its special fruits. Outwardly, they are very similar to raspberries, but they differ in color and are slightly larger in size. The color of blackberries is black, with a bluish coating that cannot be confused with other berries. Blackberries ripen between August and September.

The distribution area of ​​this shrub is quite large. It prefers places on river banks, fields and water meadows, which are found in abundance throughout European Russia, Western Siberia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Dogwood

The berries of this plant, common in Russia, Crimea and the Caucasus, have long been famous for their beneficial properties. Therefore, in in this case There is no question about which berries to avoid and which ones to eat. Forest (a plant with edible fruits of this berry grows successfully on garden plots) dogwood thickets are especially pleasing to those who during the season collect whole buckets of a unique product for fresh consumption and for packing for the winter. Its juicy fruits reach three centimeters in size and have a cylindrical pear-shaped or oval shape. These sweet and sour tart fruits of red, yellow or ruby ​​color cannot be confused with any others. The ripening process of berries occurs from August to October. The astringent taste of fully ripe fruits is slightly reduced compared to unripe ones.

Cranberry

This low shrub with dark green leaves prefers to grow in swamps, so it can almost always be found in the forest or tundra zone of Russia. Cranberries - what are they? Forest. A plant with edible fruits, so beloved in the Russian outback, almost always grows only in the wild. When you come to the forest, you can safely eat cranberries, because you can distinguish these healthy berries from others forest plants not difficult at all. First of all, these colors are not hidden under the leaves, so it will be quite easy to notice and find them. The fruits ripen in September, but you don't have to rush to pick these berries. They have the ability to be preserved under the snow, and many connoisseurs claim that overwintered berries are much sweeter. Autumn berries are firmer, unlike those that can be found immediately after the snow melts. The only drawback of picking berries in the spring is that long-term storage is impossible.

Black elderberry

This plant was able to spread widely in our latitudes, namely throughout the European part of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and also in the Caucasus. After all, it is in these regions that the fertile lands are ideal for this shrub. Ideal conditions For black elderberry are deciduous forests, although sometimes it can be found mixed with coniferous forests. You need to look for black elderberry bushes on the edges or in the undergrowth.

There are several varieties of elderberries, so it is important to know exactly what can be collected, which berries are wild? The plant with edible elderberry fruits is not much different from those species that should be avoided. The main difference between the healthy black elderberry and its close relative, the red elderberry, is the color of the fruit. The berries of the poisonous plant have a rich red color, while the edible fruits are black with a purple tint, with juicy red-violet flesh.

Black elderberry berries are very small, but they are collected in large clusters. Their ripening period is August and September, but they remain on the branches until the leaves fall.

Cloudberry

This type of plant is herbaceous. Its favorite place to grow is peat bogs and swampy forests, so cloudberries can be found in the forests of Russia, Siberia and the Far East.

How to distinguish it from many other forest fruits? This is a prefabricated drupe, which after ripening becomes amber-yellow. At the beginning of the ripening period, cloudberries may have a reddish color. There are many fans of the sour-spicy, wine-like taste of these berries.

Cowberry

Next to cloudberry berries you can often find other forest berries, a plant with edible fruits - lingonberries. This evergreen shrub with branched stems is small in size, but its thickets can stretch for several kilometers.

The fruits of this plant are small, round in shape and painted in a bright, rich red color. Like most forest plants, they ripen in August and September.

Most often, lingonberries can be found in spruce trees, although they are also found in deciduous trees, and even in the tundra. Its distribution area is almost the entire territory of Russia.

Turn

In the Caucasus and Western Siberia you can find other unique forest fruits. A plant with edible fruits, its name is thorn, or blackthorn. Its dense, thorny, impenetrable thickets can be found in ravines, on forest edges, near rivers and along roads.

Blackthorn berries are quite small. They have a round shape and are classified as single-druped plants. The color of the fruit is dark blue, with a waxy coating. The tart-sour berries of the sloe ripen quite late - in August and September, and they remain on the branches until spring. After the first frost, sloe berries lose their astringency. Blackthorn is highly fertile.

Blueberries - favorite forest berries

A plant with edible fruits, blueberries, are considered native to Russia. The fact is that almost all of the world's reserves of this healthy berry grow in Russia. Most often this shrub can be found in the North, Far East, although sometimes found in the Baltic countries, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Blueberries are capable of forming continuous wastelands in which there is no room for a tree layer. Dark blue blueberries have a waxy coating. Very often this plant is confused with its close relative - blueberry. Their appearance - fruits and leaves - are indeed very similar, however, the taste of the fruits of these plants is significantly different.

One of the riches of our nature - a plant with edible fruits can replenish the diet, tasty and healthy berries You can enjoy it while hiking in the forest. They will help satisfy hunger and saturate the body with vitamins. Some plants - strawberries, raspberries, rose hips - are not named in the list, because they have been known to everyone since childhood, and they are often grown in personal plots.

Poisonous berry

Getting into the forest during the ripening season of berries and mushrooms, the inexperienced layman forgets that not all of them are edible and safe. From all the variety of berry plants, it is necessary to distinguish those that hide their poisonous “nature” behind their attractive and bright shell. You need to know this yourself and explain it to your children. Despite the fact that it is often advised to eat only wild berries that have been eaten by animals or birds, this recommendation is not correct. Some types berry fruits, dangerous to humans, animals eat without any consequences for themselves, so this is not an indicator of their harmlessness. Classification and photo poisonous berries presented below.

The main signs of intoxication caused by poisonous berries are: convulsions, cramps, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, depression of consciousness, dizziness. If such symptoms appear, the first step is to provide the victim with rest and cleanse the stomach. To do this, you need to drink 2-4 glasses of water with activated carbon diluted in it (2 tablespoons per 500 ml), salt or potassium permanganate (1 teaspoon per 500 ml). Repeated repetition of this procedure will help induce vomiting and empty the stomach of the toxic substance. If you have a first aid kit with you, the victim needs to take a heart remedy, as well as any laxative. If you don’t have a first aid kit at hand, black bread crackers, starch or milk will help. The victim must be provided with warmth and qualified medical assistance as soon as possible.

Poisonous berries: photos and names

To distinguish inedible fruits from ordinary ones, you need to remember their type and shape. Poisonous berries can not only cause intoxication of varying severity, but also death. Therefore, while in the forest, under no circumstances should you eat or touch the fruits of unfamiliar shrubs and trees with your bare hands.

The classification of which berries are poisonous and inedible, which are most often found in our forests, is as follows:

1. Wolf's Bast

Wolf berries

These poisonous forest berries are also popularly called wolfberries. This shrubby plant, growing in mixed forests. In spring it blooms with beautiful inflorescences, very similar to lilac flowers. But even the long-term smell of this plant can cause headaches, coughing, sneezing and runny nose. Poisonous red berry appears in autumn elongated shape. It is undesirable not only to consume it, but even to touch it. The bark of this plant is also poisonous, which can cause blisters and ulcers on the surface of the skin.

1. Nightshade bittersweet

The shrub grows near water bodies, in damp ravines, and oak forests. In folk medicine, nightshade fruits are used for treatment, but self-consumption is fraught with poisoning. Both its red oval fruits and the leaves that produce unpleasant aroma. The bitter fruits are juicy, with many seeds; all the greenery on the bush is also poisonous.

Nightshade bittersweet (red)

Only unripe fruits are toxic to black nightshade berries. Completely ripe fruits can be eaten; they contain a large number of vitamin C, the leaves are also eaten boiled. The fruits are round, black, the flesh is black-violet, and contain difficult-to-remove dyes. Fresh fruits emit an unpleasant aroma. Nightshade is found not only in forests, but also near ponds, ravines, and roadsides. You can even make jam from the fruits of black nightshade.

It is found in dry forests, coniferous and birch, as well as in meadows, forest edges, steppe zones. This is a plant small size(up to 65 cm) with spherical blue-black or red fruits, pointed leaves and white drooping flowers. When consumed or touched, symptoms of poisoning occur with gastrointestinal upset, headaches, and shortness of breath.

A low plant with one straight stem, on which one ripening fruit is round in shape and black in color. The berry has a bitter taste and bad smell. Grows in coniferous and mixed forests, among shrubs. The fruits, leaves and rhizomes of the plant are equally dangerous from poisoning, the signs of which are respiratory arrest, intestinal irritation, and cardiac dysfunction. The leaves affect the human nervous system and can cause paralysis. ethnoscience uses raven eye for treating boils, for lubricating various wounds, alcohol tincture and a decoction of the leaves treats pulmonary tuberculosis.

The well-known lily of the valley flower has poisonous wild berries of red or orange color. The fruits ripen from August to September, their consumption causes convulsions, nausea, dizziness, and cardiac dysfunction. The flowers have a pungent but pleasant smell. Medicine uses May lily of the valley to treat cardiovascular diseases. But self-medication is not recommended, just like eating fruits or placing bouquets indoors.

A plant with large cup-shaped leaves on which red berries ripen, collected in a large bunch. Grows in marshy areas. Along with the most common signs of poisoning, marsh whitefly causes irritation of the mucous membranes. Fresh leaves, stem, fruit, and especially the rhizome are toxic.

Many people are familiar with garden honeysuckle, but few people know which berries are poisonous in forest honeysuckle. They are bright red in color, collected in a small bunch. Honeysuckle berries resemble red currants. What may cause confusion regarding the edibility of the berries is that some birds peck the fruits of forest honeysuckle, but they are poisonous to humans. Only the blue berries of garden honeysuckle are edible. Forest honeysuckle bushes are often used for decorative purposes.

Euonymus is a shrub up to two meters high. Often planted as ornamental shrub with beautiful red fruits. Birds love the berries, but eating them is dangerous for humans. The fruits look like bright red flesh peeking out from pink capsules with black seeds.

A plant of medium height (up to 60 cm), with large oblong black fruits, they also come in red or white. The plant is highly irritating with all its parts; one touch can cause severe inflammation, accompanied by the appearance of blisters. A particularly strong reaction of the toxic substance manifests itself on the mucous membrane of the eyes and mouth. Similar to it is the red-fruited crow, which has red fruits.

The plant is widespread in the mountainous and foothill regions of Southern Russia; the fruits are small black berries with red juice inside. Small fragrant white flowers are collected in numerous umbrellas. Intoxication may result in death due to cardiac arrest or pulmonary edema. The accumulation of oxyhemoglobin stains mucous surfaces in Blue colour. However, fresh ripe fruits can be consumed in processed form.

Buckthorn poisonous berries can be found in the forest near bodies of water. The black bone fruits of buckthorn ripen in late summer. The bark and fruits of buckthorn are used as a remedy for constipation and for gastric lavage. Buckthorn fruits can be confused with bird cherry. Consumption fresh causes severe vomiting.

Many people have come across yew used in decorative hedges, but few people know what poisonous yew berries are, especially in the middle, where brown seeds are hidden under the fleshy, almost harmless part. The bark, shoots, and yew wood are also toxic. Coniferous extract can cause human death. The poison has a paralyzing effect, causing respiratory arrest and convulsions.

1. Spotted arum

This perennial with a fleshy stem and tuberous rhizome. At the end of summer, the leaves of the plant fall off, leaving stems with a large bunch of dense red berries. After ingestion, severe intoxication, if first aid is not provided, can lead to death.

Spotted arum

Thus, many of the poisonous plants correct use and recycling can be beneficial and serve medicine from many diseases. However, in no case should you self-medicate without medical skills, or ingest fresh fruits of the above toxic plants. If this happens, you must immediately provide medical assistance to the victim. And most importantly, in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, you should not eat unfamiliar wild berries, touch them with your hands, and allow children to do this.

Vekh is a perennial plant of the Apiaceae family. Hemlock has a hollow stem, from which come petioles covered with bipinnate leaves. Inflorescences of 5 petals are small, white or yellow. This is one of the most poisonous plants that can be found in the forest. The highest concentration of cicutoxin poison is found in the root of the plant.

Symptoms of poisoning: nausea, colic in the lower abdomen, vomiting, dizziness. Longer poisoning is accompanied by foam flowing from the patient’s mouth, dizziness, convulsions, paralysis of the limbs and death.

Treatment: immediate gastric lavage boiled water with activated carbon powder.

Hemlock from the umbrella family

Hemlock reaches a height of 2 m. In the upper part the stem is highly branched and covered with a blue coating, in the lower part you can find purple spots. At the base of the umbrellas there are 5 leaflets-wrappers. The inflorescences are small, white, consisting of 5 petals bent back. In the forest like this poisonous plants, like hemlock, are common, and the danger of poisoning from them is great. The poison coniine contained in the plant causes paralysis of the respiratory muscle.

Symptoms of poisoning: dizziness, nausea, impaired swallowing function, loss of speech, paralysis of limbs, dilated pupils, suffocation. A rash appears on contact with the skin.

First aid: gastric lavage with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Ingestion of activated carbon powder and milk. If breathing stops - artificial respiration.

Common wolfberry (wolf bast, wolfberry)

Wolf's bast is a shrub with a height of 50 to 150 cm. Dark pink flowers look like lilacs. Narrow, long leaves, bluish below, grow at the ends of the shoots. in autumn wolf's face bears bright red and orange berries. This is one of the few poisonous plants in the forest that can cause poisoning upon contact with their fruits, flowers, leaves and even bark.

Symptoms of poisoning: irritation of the respiratory tract, burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the pit of the stomach, weakness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions.

First aid: gastric lavage with salted water. You can have a drink afterwards Activated carbon. In case of contact with skin, rinse the affected area.

Nightshade black

Black nightshade is also found among poisonous plants in the forest. It has a branched stem, oval, pointed leaves and small white, bell-like flowers. The fruits are round black berries that ripen towards the end of summer. They can be eaten. But unripe fruits are poisonous.

Signs of poisoning: rapid pulse, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting.

First aid: gastric lavage with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

If you are poisoned by poisonous plants in the forest, After providing first aid, be sure to go to the hospital!

It is very important to teach children to identify poisonous plants, otherwise a child may return from a walk with a poisoned bouquet, or even swallow poisonous berries. The same applies to mushrooms: it is important to distinguish between what is an edible mushroom and what is. Children must remember an important rule: if you are not one hundred percent sure that a berry or mushroom is edible, do not touch it.

Dense endless forests have been attracting people since time immemorial. Clean air, saturated with the aroma of forest flowers, tall trees and spreading bushes allow you to fully experience unity with nature.

However, it also happens that when going into the forest for a quiet or green hunt, a person wanders into a labyrinth of giant trees and is not able to find his way back. In such cases, one should completely rely on the mercy of Mother Nature, who takes care of man by providing numerous plants that quench thirst and hunger.

Plants that help you survive

Plant foods contain almost all the substances necessary for a full life: vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates. Some plants have leaves and shoots for food, others have flowers and inflorescences, and still others have berries. And certain species have healthy and nutrient-rich roots.

The main advantage of herbs is the ability to eat them without pre-processing, as well as their availability and prevalence in almost all corners of the Earth (except perhaps for polar and desert regions). Knowledge of the properties of forest plants will help a lost traveler maintain his strength and successfully survive in the wild.

Representatives of the plant world suitable for food

Perhaps the most widely available plant with edible shoots and leaves is nettle. Its leaves are extremely rich in vitamins C, B and K and carotene. Young nettles can be consumed raw, but before doing so, you need to thoroughly mash the leaves to remove the stinging hairs.

When in extreme situations, to maintain strength it is necessary to use all possible sources of food, including plants. Plants are an excellent source nutrients that will help you survive.

There are about 300,000 plant species on the planet. About 120,000 of them are edible. About 2,000 edible plants grow in Russia.

IN old times people knew very well which plants were edible and which were poisonous. This skill is very important in extreme situations. Plants and fruits contain a lot of nutrients that can help in extreme situations. Some fruits can act as an energy drink, and some can stimulate the body. You can use roots, bulbs, shoots, stems, and fruits for food.

Edible plants

Many parts of plants can be eaten.
Rhizomes and tubers. Tubers and roots of plants such as cattail, almond, plantain, forest fern, chicory, sorrel, white and water lily are excellent for consumption as food.
You can eat plant shoots: rhubarb, white line, sugar cane, fan palm, bracken.

The leaves of plants such as dandelion, sorrel, nettle, fireweed, and burdock are considered edible.
In addition, you can eat the flowers of plants: rose hips, horse sorrel, chamomile, clover, dandelion, acacia, birch, willow.

Some types of plants can be used as a medicine against scurvy, which is very important for survival. To do this, you need to use plants containing vitamin C. Spruce needles are ideal for this.

Many plants can easily replace leafy vegetables from our regular diet:
— Dandelion is a plant that is completely edible. The leaves and roots can be consumed raw. If you grind and roast the root, it can be used as coffee.
- Coltsfoot. Leaves and shoots are used for food.
- Clover. The stems and leaves can be used in salads.
- Nettle. After soaking the leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, they can be used in salads. They are also used in soups.

Edible fruits

In Russia you can find a large number of shrubs and trees with edible fruits.
Blueberry. Grows in most of Russia. Can be found in pine forests, broad-leaved and spruce forests, and swampy places. Blueberry height is 10-50 cm.
Cowberry. Shrub 15-20 cm high. Grows throughout Russia. Prefers spruce and pine forests. The berries ripen in August - September.
Blackberry. It is found in almost the entire part of Russia. Grows along river banks and in flood meadows. The bush is covered with thorns.
Blueberry. The shrub can reach 1 m. appearance Blueberries are similar to blueberries. Has a large habitat. Can be found in wetlands, dry areas and mountains. Grows in the European part of Russia, the Far East, the Urals, and the Caucasus.
Juniper. A small tree-like shrub. Grows in the forest zone of Russia.
Cranberry. Distributed in the forest zone of Russia. Grows in swamps and wetlands.
Rowan. Widely distributed throughout Europe. The fruits are rich in vitamins.
In addition to the above, sea buckthorn, bird cherry, stone fruit, wild currants, strawberries, and raspberries will help replenish your strength.

Poisonous plants and herbs

There are a considerable number of plants that are considered poisonous and can harm your health and sometimes lead to death. Should be avoided umbrella plants: ash, foxglove, milestone. Blooming umbrellas are especially poisonous and should not be handled with bare hands.
Also considered poisonous are:
- Datura
- henbane
- buttercups
- spurge
- bindweed
- foxglove
- hydrangea
- castor bean

Poisonous fruits

Some types of berries should also be avoided:
- raven eye
- wolf's bast
- red nightshade
- lily of the valley
- belladonna
- swamp whitewing
- euonymus
- spiky raven

How to determine which berries are edible

Never eat unfamiliar plants and their fruits. If you find yourself in a hopeless situation, then there are signs that are likely to help you distinguish edible plants from inedible:
- edible plants usually grow in large clusters;
- in most cases, edible berries have one fruit on the stem of the berry branch;
— if plants secrete milky sap, then you should not eat it;
— most aquatic vegetation is edible;
— most fruits of shrubs growing on peat bogs can be eaten;
— edible fruit or not can be recognized by bird droppings; if it contains seeds or peels, then such fruits can be used for food.

Edible plants can be determined experimentally. Rub a small amount of an unknown plant between your fingers. If there is no reaction after 15 minutes, place it on the crook of your elbow. If there is no reaction after 15-20 minutes, place the plant between your lips. If there is no irritation or burning within 15-20 minutes, then take a small part of the plant into your mouth and chew without swallowing. If after 15-20 minutes there is no burning or bitter taste, then swallow it. If after 15-20 minutes there is no nausea, dizziness or other signs of poisoning, then you can use a small amount of the plant for food. If there is no deterioration in health the next day, then such a plant can be used for food.