Is Virginia creeper safe to eat?
Spring and the Virginia Creeper is growing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_quinquefolia
It is native to North America, and common. I read on Wikipedia the berries have "dangerous amounts of oxalic acid" and I have not tried those. The leaves taste good to me; sour and much like sorrel.
I wonder if anyone knows if historically, anyone ate this stuff. Rhubarb has oxalic acid but is good if cooked a little, and cooking is recommended for old sorrel. One would think that back in the days that people ate pokeweed someone would have tried creeper; it is everywhere. But my googlefu is pretty strong these days and I have turned up nothing.
Best Answer
Virginia Creeper can be toxic if eaten. Both the leaves and berries should be considered poisonous and not eaten.
According to poison.org:
Although they are pretty, Virginia creeper and wisteria can be harmful if they are chewed or swallowed. Both plants can cause mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and should not be eaten.
Both the berries and leaves contain oxalate. While not everyone may have a severe reaction, it's difficult to predict when a reaction may happen, and thus it's best to never eat Virgina creeper.
Since you mention rhubarb in your question, rhubarb contains oxalate in it's leaves at toxic levels, only the rhubarb stalks are safe to eat. Rhubarb stalks do still have oxalate, but at lower concentrations, reducing the chance of illness or death.
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The Bottom Line Although they are pretty, Virginia creeper and wisteria can be harmful if they are chewed or swallowed. Both plants can cause mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and should not be eaten.Is Virginia creeper poisonous to humans?
Although Virginia creeper leaves does not contain urushiol, the irritating oil found on all parts of poison ivy, the sap can irritate highly sensitive people. The berries are poisonous, as they contain a high concentration of oxalic acid, which is moderately toxic to humans and dogs.Is Virginia creeper the same as poison oak?
The best method of telling apart Virginia creeper and poison ivy is the number of leaves. Poison ivy has three, while Virginia creeper typically has five. While young Virginia creeper can have three leaves, it also has smooth vines, not hairy. If you can't see the vine, avoid the plant!Is everyone allergic to Virginia creeper?
Although it is not as allergenic as poison ivy, raphides, the sap of Virginia creeper, can cause skin irritation and blisters in sensitive people when it punctures the skin.Is Virginia creeper harmless?
6 insurrection hearings: How to watch and what to know. However, Virginia creeper has other dangers. It can be very harmful if chewed or swallowed, causing mouth pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and should not be eaten.⟹ Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Be careful with this plant and here's why!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.