Marks & Spencer has apologised after a plant expert raised concern over the placement of a popular spring flower in the vegetable aisle.
Botanist James Wong, who has appeared as a presenter on several BBC series including the Chelsea Flower Show, The Secrets of Your Food and Springwatch, raised the alarm on Twitter after being sent a photo of daffodils placed alongside spring onions in the supermarket.
James tweeted: "Gosh, my mum sent me this… Daffodils are the single most common cause of plant-based poisoning as people mistake their bulbs (even cut flower buds) for crops in the onion family."
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The expert told Marks & Spencer: "I don’t want to get any staff in trouble. But you need better training asap." He went on to explain: "Daffodils are filled with microscopic crystals, so biting into one is like swallowing a box of tiny needles. Properly nasty."
According to Poison Control, all parts of a daffodil are toxic if eaten, as the plant contains a toxic chemical called lycorine which can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Daffodil bulbs also contain chemicals called oxalates, which are the needle-like crystals described by James.
"When swallowed, oxalates cause severe burning and irritation of the lips, tongue, and throat. They can also cause skin irritation," Poison Control explains. Public Health England wrote to supermarkets back in 2015 urging them to display daffodils away from fruit and veg so that shoppers don't mistakenly eat them.
A spokesperson for M&S told BirminghamLive: "Customer safety is our priority and our British daffodils are clearly labelled, with an on-pack warning that they are not safe to consume. This was an error on the part of one of our store teams and we have asked the store to rectify. We apologise for any confusion caused.”
Daffodils aren't just toxic to humans - they're also the main spring flower that dog owners should watch out for, as eating any part of the plant or even drinking water from a vase containing daffodils can cause them to fall ill. Read more about the spring flowers that are poisonous to dogs here.
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Spring flowers that are toxic to dogs including daffodils, bluebells and tulips
