Dos

• Teach children not to play with or eat plants
• Use gloves when pruning or weeding and keep skin covered
• Teach children that if it is not a food plant or crop, do not eat it
• Teach children what parts of an edible crop they can eat e.g. you can't eat tomato or potato leaves or flowers
• Check plant labels for toxicity warnings, or research them before you buy or use it in your garden
• Always wash hands after being out in the garden and ensure hands are washed before eating

Don’ts

• Don't eat ornamental plants. They are very beautiful - but not meant to be eaten!
• Do not leave prunings or dug up plants in reach of children, pets or wildlife
• Don't touch a plant unless you know what it is 
• Don’t plant edible and ornamental plants together in the same bed, border, container or pot 

Common hazards associated with plants can be caused by either ingestion or contact.

Ingestion hazard

• Children are mostly at risk
• Some plants may cause digestive upset or discomfort if eaten
• A small number of common plants are more toxic and could cause severe poisoning (see link below for more information)

Contact hazard

• Irritant sap may cause a burning sensation and sometimes blistering of skin. Anyone can be affected if the exposure is sufficient
• Some plants contain chemicals called allergens. These do not affect everyone, but some individuals may aquire sensitivity to them resulting in an allergic reaction
• A very small number of plants have sap which renders the skin excessively sensitive to strong sunlight. This can result in severe localised sunburn with blistering and long-lasting skin discolouration

Explore our full list of potentially harmful plants.

• If you think a person has eaten part of a doubtful plant, seek medical advice immediately from a hospital accident & emergency department
• Take a sample of the plant with you
• Do not panic and do not try to make the person sick