Are Pernettya Berries Edible or Poisonous?
Because Pernettya mucronata aka Gaultheria mucronataproduces copious quantities of physically gorgeous berries, it has become a popular ornamental shrub, & I’ve a separate page of praise for Pernettya’s Ornamental Value. The Yamanas Indians of Terra del Fuego called P. mucronata “Gush” & counted on the berries as a major food resource in summer & winter. Many other tribal peoples of Central & South America were as reliant on P. prostrata. But there are other species of pernettya that are apparently poisonous, though good studies & evidence are pretty skimpy; & so one finds all pernettya species broadly condemned as potential hazards, repeatedly included on lists of plants with toxic flowers, stems, & berries. The North Carolina State University of College of Agricultural & Life Sciences lists Pernettya spp collectively as all “Highly Toxic, May Be Fatal if Eaten,” making no distinctions for the species that have long provided wild food harvests for aboriginal pe
