Plants sold commercially: What are the health risks?
Common yew, dieffenbachia, garden angelica… ANSES publishes the list of commercially available plants which can pose a health risk and the precautions to take to avoid poisoning. This information is also available on the plantes-risque.info website.
The list of 58 plants posing a risk to health – whether they cause respiratory allergy or are toxic if ingested or through contact with the skin – has been drawn up by ANSES and the French aerobiological monitoring network (RNSA) and can be found at this website: plantes-risque.info.
For each plant, details are provided on the risks, the toxic parts of the plant, the clinical signs to look for if exposure occurs, and the measures to be taken in cases of poisoning.
As of 1 July 2021, retailers must inform consumers of the toxicity of certain plants sold in stores or on the Internet, as well as of the precautions to take in order to prevent poisoning. Customer information will be provided on a label or on a sign placed near the plant in question.
In cases of severe or life-threatening illness following ingestion of part of a plant, contact with a plant or inhalation of its pollen, please call 15 (in France) or 112 (throughout Europe). If your pet has been poisoned, call one of the veterinary poison control centres.