Holly berries: A beautiful decoration but a poisonous snack
The bottom line
The berries of the holly plant are poisonous to people and pets. Swallowing them can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Prevention Tips
Remove the berries before decorating with fresh holly.
Watch children closely when they are playing outdoors. Be sure that they don’t eat berries, other plant parts, or mushrooms.
This Really Happened
Case 1. A 16-month-old boy swallowed an unknown number of holly berries. His mom logged into webPOISONCONTROL®, the automated online poison control tool, 10 minutes later. No symptoms had developed. The parent was advised that it was safe to stay home and watch for vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain and ensure adequate hydration if they developed. Specific instructions on how to hydrate a young child were also provided along with symptoms that should prompt a call back to their poison center and symptoms that should trigger an immediate ER visit. On follow-up 2 days later, the child remained well. No symptoms had developed.
Case 2. A 13-month-old boy swallowed a few holly berries from a Christmas wreath. His mother thought he ate no more than 2 berries. She called her poison center for advice. The boy was not having any problems or symptoms at the time. The poison center did not expect serious symptoms from the 2 berries. The mother was told to give him something to eat and to watch for an upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. The poison center stayed in close contact with the mother by telephone. The boy had a few loose stools but no other symptoms.
How to identify a holly berry
Holly (Ilex sp.) is a common winter holiday decoration. Decorative holly leaves have several sharp spines on each side. The berries are about ¼ inch in diameter and vary in color from bright red to yellow. The berries begin to dry out as soon as the holly is cut. The dried berries will eventually fall off, which makes it easy for children or pets to reach them. To prevent poisoning, remove the berries before decorating with fresh holly.
Are holly berries poisonous?
Swallowing holly berries can cause nausea and vomiting, occasionally accompanied by diarrhea. These effects can lead to dehydration. Children have had symptoms after swallowing as few as 2 holly berries.
My child ate a holly berry. What should I do?
If you suspect that someone has swallowed holly berries, you first action should be to remove any berries still in the mouth. Follow that up by giving a small amount of water or milk to clear any berry material from the mouth and esophagus. Then, immediately use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
