"Poisonous Plants Easily Confused with Spring Wild Greens... Caution Advised"

Cases of mistaking poisonous plants for wild edible greens and experiencing symptoms such as enteritis continue to occur, requiring caution.

According to the Korea National Arboretum and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 10th, there have been a total of 41 cases over the past five years of people reporting abdominal pain after consuming poisonous plants (data from the Korea Consumer Agency's consumer hazard monitoring system), with 33 cases (80%) reported between March and June.

Most of the reported cases were found to have occurred due to individuals arbitrarily harvesting and consuming poisonous plants that look similar to wild edible greens. This is because it is difficult to distinguish between wild edible greens and poisonous plants by leaves or roots alone before the flowers bloom.

Wild edible plants and poisonous plants that are difficult to distinguish due to their similar appearance. Provided by the National Arboretum

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Representative poisonous plants in spring include Amejikogong (American pokeweed), Satgatnamul, Donguinamul, Eunbangulkkot (Lily of the valley), and Teolmeowi.

Amejikogong is easily confused with Deodeok (Codonopsis lanceolata). The distinguishing feature is that Deodeok’s root has horizontal wrinkles, whereas Amejikogong’s root is smooth without wrinkles, and a purple stem grows from its thick root. Also, Amejikogong has no scent.

Satgatnamul is similar to Usannamul (Umbrella plant). Usannamul’s leaf edges are finely divided and deeply split in two rows, while Satgatnamul’s leaf edges at the stem tip are not divided, which helps differentiate them.

Donguinamul is often mistaken for Gomchwi (Ligularia), which is characterized by a slightly bitter taste. Donguinamul has no scent and its leaf edges have blunt serrations. In contrast, Gomchwi has a scent, leaves without gloss, and sharp serrations on the edges.

The Korea National Arboretum explains that if individuals arbitrarily harvest and consume wild plants without sufficient knowledge about poisonous plants that look similar to these plants, they may suffer damage such as enteritis, so caution is necessary.

If you experience abnormal symptoms such as abdominal pain or vomiting after mistakenly consuming poisonous plants as wild edible greens, you should visit a hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Bringing the poisonous plant to the hospital can also help with prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Detailed information about toxic plants can be found in the research publications (Spring and Autumn Toxic Plant Guidebooks) posted on the Korea National Arboretum website.

A representative from the Korea National Arboretum said, "Since it is not easy to distinguish between wild edible greens and poisonous plants, the best way to avoid poisoning is to refrain from harvesting and consuming wild plants. We also urge people to confirm the correct cooking methods before consuming edible wild greens."

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