Mezereon - Daphne mezereum
Also known as daphne, spurge flax,
spurge laurel, spurge olive and wild pepper. This is a small shrub from
Europe and Asia which now also grows in parts of the USA and Canada. The
stem is covered in leathery, greyish-brown bark, and grows smooth, alternate
leaves. From February to April, rose-purple flowers bloom, and the fruit is
a red berry.
The bark of this shrub has cathartic, diuretic,
emetic, rubefacient and stimulant properties. It was once used as a
purgative, but is not often used today. Some homeopaths use this herb
for skin problems, respiratory and digestive complaints. The mezereon plant
is actually poisonous to humans, and medical advice should be sought before
use. People have been killed by eating 3 or 4 of the berries, and it is said
that humans will be poisoned just by eating birds that have eaten the
berries.