Are these berries edible? Anyone know what this is? The berries turn orange.

Its a Bird of Paradise - the seeds are quite toxic.

DaisyI said:

Its a Bird of Paradise - the seeds are quite toxic.

Doesn't look like any pictures I've seen online ... The seed pods that is. I don't think you are correct.

The seed pods look like those of a Clivia to me.

The leaves look like Strelitzia growing near Clivia perhaps, but the seeds are Clivia


Clivia seeds

http://kumbulanursery.co.za/pl...

I agree about the Strelitzia leaf but I think the seed heads are from Arum italicum. The leaves go dormant and the stalk of seeds remains the seeds ripen to orange/red in the fall.

I'm with you, Leslie. The seeds aren't related to the bird of paradise leaves. Definitely look like Arum to me. The leaves of the Arum disappear before they flower, so that might be the dead leaves you can see next to the seed heads. No, they aren't edible as far as I know.

Bird of Paradise seeds form in the big, long calyxes up higher on the plant.

If they were Clivia seeds, you'd also see Clivia leaves. Mine keep their leaves year round.

I have tasted the berries so they are not very toxic if at all.

I do believe there are 2 plants thank you all very much for solving this three-year-old mystery.

The toxic agent in them is calcium oxalate, I think. Here's what it says in our database info "All parts of plant contain calcium oxalate crystals, an irritant to the mouth and esophagus. Toxic to cats and dogs."

Calcium oxalate are what my type of kidney stones (3) are made of and there are lists of plant food that contain it and, in my case are recommended to avoid. FYI