…and all of the other toxic plants laburnum, or foxgloves etc. and of course there is the toxic fungi such as the Destroying Angel. The only way to get rid of those is to remove all of the soil and sterilise it.  If you are managing park or woodland this approach would rather cramp your style. If you are for example running a crèche etc then yes you need to take precautions but anywhere else, then tell people not to eat the plant and that’s it. What  find bizarre it that at this time of the year I see fruit trees in parks and gardens heavy with fruit that is perfectly edible, and nobody is foraging for it. If it does not come all wrapped up with a label on it it’s probably toxic, seems to be a more common attitude.  

Then get rid if that is the case. Someone will need to monitor what is growing there but watch it  with yew trees as they can be very old and might have a preservation order on them.

My experience is with attempting to create a “woodland classroom! near a creche. We checked for trees etc and started and then a toxicologist noted the Destroying Angel fungi growing up through the leaf litter! We had to abandon the whole project.

Originally Posted by: PDarlow

Surely those who are vulnerable would be supervised on any excusion into a garden. The residents with capacity (assuming you cater for all types) can be instructed.

Preservation must be better than destruction. The benefit of those who can enjoy nature and be close to it far outways the risk in my opinion.

Why not erect a decent looking fence with a gate around the trees so access is controlled?

Yes as you say they are supervised unless they have capacity. 

I'm very much in the camp of preservation and risk management where we can. It's useful to get other viewpoints. 

Thank you.

Hi Roy

My instinct even with vulnerable people would be that the benefits of trees outweigh the risks and hence any intervention should be as minimal as practical - perhaps some warning signs to alert of remind carers and those with capacity.

For many years RoSPA maintained the HASS and LASS databases of home and leisure accidents. Doing that was chopped as part of the Coalition Govt cutbacks, but RoSPA still has the databases for about 10 years to circa 2010, but no longer publicly accessible online.

Might be that HASS and LASS might give you some clue as to how many people in Britain are hospitalised for yew poisoning each year. 

My guess is very few and apparently a Coroner concluded that this is the case (presumably hearing some evidence before coming to such conclusion).

Boy, 14, died after eating poisonous yew tree berries during walk in Manchester park,... - LBC

Edited by user 06 September 2024 10:11:54(UTC)  | Reason: Typos

I guess it does depend on the type of care provided - for dementia patients for example - they may be allowed to roam on their own in a secure area (with limited supervision) but may well decide it is a juicy fruit to eat. In other care facilities then signage or fencing might be an option - could even use it as an educational tool (depending on the audience) about the dangers vs rewards of foraging. I know up at Alnwick Gardens where they have their "Poisonous Garden" it is one of their most popular attractions but it is well managed with limited opportunity to touch things. Might even be worth getting in touch with them for advice too? See https://www.alnwickgarden.com/the-garden/poison-garden/ if interested - there is a good video there with the guide going through some of the everyday trees/plants we have in our gardens which are surprisingly deadly. Incidentally it is a great place to visit if you are ever up in Northumberland.

Even with supervision the vulnerable are quite capable of wandering off or placing things in their mouths especially when goaded by peers and the superviors attention is distracted.

I would like to go with the idea of a fence but when you consider how far out branches may grow and how weather spreads materials, especially in a storm, there is forseeable risk even with this strategy.

I believe with some trees there are substances commercially available to prevent fruiting - maybe a chat with the Royal Horticultural Society?

Children at nursery or in the playground are "supervised" thing is it is not "one on one" or even two to one as happens with some vulnerable adults on fields trips.

The call of nature / a mobile / a colleague / other distraction results in a temporary lapse from intense scrutiny during which time the toddler escapes the security of the playground or the young adult shakes off their chaparones or the geriatric person escapes their residential home.

For too long now the care sector has been banging a drum about how under staffed they are and how difficult it is to both recruit and retain suitable candidates before you get to the horror stories of deliberate abuse.

Even when we are fixed in observation such as a magic show where we never take our eyes off the action how come the trick functions?

Hi Roy, we had a similar situation i believe it was Oak Trees and the issue was
Oak Processionary Moths, we had to firstly report the issue  to the
Forestry Commission via TreeAlert. Then set up signs and barriers around the Trees, and had pest patrol physically deal with the nests and spray the Trees. After that its just about maintaing the Trees with the help of Trained Tree Surgeons.

Regarding Poisonsus Yew Trees:

1)You may have to report the issue to the Council (If Area Is Not Private).

2) Place Clear Signs and Barriers (Maybe Use Tree Nets)

3) Hire Proffesional Tree Surgeons to Prune and Maintain the Trees.

4) Keep Children And Pets Away :(

Karan

Roy thinks that felling the yew tree would be "drastic". I agree and suspect that there would be some local outrage if the yew was felled without due consultation.

The yew is part of the British psyche, not least for its use in making the bows used by archers for millennia.

It's also becoming rarer, and is close to extinct in many mainland European countries.

In Britain most tree species are under some level of threat with an increase in plant diseases partly due to Climate Change - hence the spread of Phytophthora species and other plant diseases further North.

Then, of course, there is the role of trees in mopping up CO2 etc. A new sapling with take decades to reach the stage that it absorbs what an existing tree currently does.