Play park daffodil planting ends over fears they are toxic
ATOWN council decision not to plant any more daffodils in a play park area because of health concerns has been branded ‘bonkers’.
St Blaise Town Council, which covers the town of St Blazey, near St Austell, says it will no longer plant new daffodil bulbs for the foreseeable future at Old Roselyon Play Area because they are poisonous if people eat them.
The council was accused by local residents of cutting down daffodils at the play area, after a number were found to have been torn up. However, the local authority has said it was not responsible for cutting the daffodils.
Members of the community said the park looked beautiful as the daffodils bloomed in recent spring sunshine – so much so that some even nicknamed that part of the old orchard Daffodil Walk.
Barry West, chairman of the Roselyon Play Park Committee, said the decision not to have daffodils was “bonkers”. He said: “Are they going to put signs up saying ‘don’t eat the daffodils’ next? This is totally bonkers. There have always been daffs in the park. It used to be an old orchard and there must have been about 1,000 flowers. Now many of them have been cut down or pulled up. But for the town council to say they’ll never plant daffodils again because they are toxic to children if they eat them is crazy.”
He added: “It was a former orchard and a place where generations of adults and children alike have walked through and enjoyed. Having the daffodils there was always a joy in the spring, as it was again this year.”
While it is true that daffodils can be toxic if ingested, Mr West said he has never heard of children eating them.
Dr Mark Evans, from the South West Health Protection Unit, did confirm the toxicity of daffodils, saying: “Daffodils are toxic and severe vomiting and diarrhoea can occur if eaten by mistake. Although very unpleasant, most people will recover fully without treatment.”
St Blaise Town Council confirmed its decision not to have any new daffodils in the foreseeable future for health and safety reasons, saying it came after recent play park inspection training.
Town clerk Gaynor Mamo said that if daffodils have been cut down it was nothing to do with the local authority, adding: “The daffodils at Polgover/Old Roselyon Play Area are still there.”
She did confirm that no more daffodils would be planted in the future and the area where the daffodils are now will be cut at the end of the season. She said: “After recent play inspection training, we were advised not to have daffodils in play areas as all parts of the daffodil can be poisonous. I brought this to the attention of the town council, who said no more daffs should be planted, but those that were there before the land was devolved to us would stay.
“The daffs are sporadic over a grassed area and once the flowers have died the grass will be cut.”
Mr West said: “For all the benefits flowers bring to the environment and people’s wellbeing, they should be planting more, not less.”