This week in science I made poison out of autumn olives.  Another name for Autumn olives are  Japanese  silverberry.  I found it interesting that the berries are poisonous  to birds but edible and healthy for humans. They have carotenoids and lycopene because it has high amounts of these elements they can replace tomatoes. Why it is  poisonous to birds is because the berries cause diarrhea. One other thing that I found interesting is that the plant grabs nitrogen from the atmosphere and puts it in the soil. This can make it a good neighboring plant but it is a invasive species.

               My group gathered the berries and put berries in a pot without the stems with enough water to cover them. The leaves were chopped and added them to the pot. we boiled them for an additional ten minuted after the berries popped. Then we allowed it to steep for 24 hours. We then used the steeped mixture over sprouted radish seeds. Now we have to wait and see how this mixture effects the radish sprouts.   

1.               If we used more berries would the poison would be stronger and change the results?
2.          This plant is invasive, yet it has quality that enhance the its environment. Does this make it harmful for its new environment?    
3.        If consumed by humans in high quantities is it harmful?