Tag: weed

  • Poison Ivy (and Its Nasty Cousins)

    The PlantsToxicodendron (meaning “poison tree”) is a genus of plants that aren’t technically poisonous in the sense that they’d kill you if you ate them — they’re skin irritants thanks to a highly allergenic compound called urushiol in their sap. Poison ivy isn’t technically an ivy, either, because it’s in the Anacardiaceae family (along with…

  • Bittersweet Nightshade

    The PlantSolanum dulcamara, also known as bittersweet nightshade or poisonberry, and its cousin Solanum nigrum, aka black nightshade, are in the same family as Atropa belladonna, better known as deadly nightshade. As you can probably guess from the names, they’re not good for you. What It Looks LikeA sprawling vine or woody shrub with slender,…