Chinaberries

This morning we went into town and had morning tea at the Lindt Café with daddy. On our way home from the station, we stopped at a nice shady playground beside a beautiful chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach). We played on the swings, and the other play equipment, for about half an hour, then headed home. There were pretty yellow berries from the chinaberry tree on the ground, and Louka, as is her wont, gathered them up and occasionally put them in her mouth. She may even have swallowed one.


When we got home, she was ready for her nap. While she was asleep I idly browsed the web to find out about the chinaberry tree. And found that the berries are highly poisonous, sometimes causing death from respiratory failure within 24 hours. I rang the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) but they'd never heard of it. Their database said to look out for unsteadiness, diarrhoea and vomiting over the next three hours, but a book on the web said to go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

Well she looked fine as she slept, but how could I not worry? I watched her carefully for symptoms till her bedtime and she seemed fine. She still seems fine this morning, so I think she'll be OK. But why, oh why, would the council put a children's playground under a poisonous tree?