KIPS BAY — The city has removed bushes laden with poisonous berries from Asser Levy Playground after a toddler swallowed the colorful, toxic fruit, according to a Parks Department spokeswoman.
Parks Department workers descended on Asser Levy Playground on Nov. 1 to uproot a number of yew bushes, whose fleshy red and green berries contain poisonous seeds capable of killing a child.
The culling came in the wake of a petition started by Kips Bay resident Natalie Gruppuso, whose 2-year-old daughter Joy ate one of the berries while playing in the park in September.
According to Gruppuso, her husband took Joy to the park and was standing nearby when she spotted the tot popping something into her mouth. When he asked her what she had eaten, Joy pointed to a handful of yew berries that someone had picked and placed in the water fountain, Gruppuso said.
Yew Berries. Creative Commons/Aril
The seeds, which include the toxic ingredients taxol and taxine, can cause symptoms including slow or irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulty, nausea and vomiting, and fainting, according to the National Library of Medicine.
A quick Google search revealed the poisonous peril of the berries, and Gruppuso and her husband rushed Joy to the emergency room at NYU Langone, where the toddler was put under observation for about seven hours before being sent home with a clean bill of health, Gruppuso said.
“We were pretty calm because she had only eaten one, but it was scary,” she said "If we hadn’t taken her to the hospital she would have gone to sleep, and who knows, maybe not have woken up.”
But the bigger issue, she said, was that the bushes and their deadly fruit were still at the playground, well within reach of curious children like her daughter.
Gruppuso sprang into action quickly, logging a 311 complaint and contacting the Parks Department borough commissioner, she said. But Gruppuso said the 311 complaint was closed within a week, and she never heard back from the Parks Department, so she decided to launch a Change.org petition, which quickly got the attention of news outlets. Within days, she said, she got a call from the Parks Department letting her know they were sending work crews to uproot the bushes.
Joy Vernon. Photo courtesy of Natalie Gruppuso.
“When it comes to toys, there are so many safety standards for kids, so the idea that there would be poisonous plants inside a playground seems insane,” she said. “I don’t think they need to be removed from every city park, but I just want them out of playgrounds where kids are going to be.”
According to Parks Department spokeswoman Crystal Howard, the agency is outlining a plan to check other parks and playgrounds in the city to take action if needed.
“In the coming weeks, our horticulture staff will do a survey and develop a plan to address further if necessary,” Howard said in an email.
