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France’s most toxic plants and berries to watch out for

Half of all the calls to Poison Control in France happen between June and September as people accidentally ingest toxic flowers, leaves or berries. Here are the plants you need to look out for.

Published: 1 August 2022 17:28 CEST
France's most toxic plants and berries to watch out for
A sprig of Lily of the Valley or Muguet at the Henri IV retirement home in Toulouse, southern France, a tradition in France to mark May Day. (Photo by GEORGES GOBET / AFP)

Each year, Poison Control centres in France receive approximately 10,000 calls from people who have unintentionally come across toxic plants and fruits. 

The majority of calls to Poison Control centres tend to concern children, but adults find themselves mixing up safe and dangerous plants and berries too, particularly as it is possible for several parts of the plant to be dangerous. 

Here are the plants to avoid – and keep out of reach of children – in France:

Poisonous berries 

Atropa belladonna – The first of the poisonous berries to watch out for is La Belladone, or deadly nightshade as it is more commonly known in English. Though relatively rare in France, you might come across this plant in the Mediterranean basin or in the Alps. It primarily grows in limestone and clay soils in either the woods, clearings, or thickets. It is approximately a metre high (and can grow taller than that).

Usually the plant flowers in late spring, early summer – typically around the month of June.

The plant’s leaves are reddish-brown, and its flowers are bell-shaped. Once the berries appear, they are large, black and shiny. Behind the berries, you can see a five-pointed foliage. The berries themselves are about the size of a small cherry – about 1.5-2 cm in diameter.

How toxic? This plant contains atropine. It is very toxic and can be deadly for children if just 2-5 berries are ingested, and about 10-15 berries for adults.

Prunus laurocerasus L – known in French as le laurier-cerise and in English as either laurel, almond laurel or palm laurel – this plant is an evergreen shrub. It is often planted in parks and gardens, and can reach up to five to six metres in height. It is particularly known for its leaves, which are shiny and dark green. 

The plant’s flowers bloom in the spring, typically in April and May, and they are typically white and small, grouped together in a long cluster. 

The berries develop in late summer or early fall. They are drupes (fleshy fruits containing a pit) of black colour, and the fruit is also grouped in clusters.

How toxic? The severity of symptoms depends on the quantity ingested, but the poisoning can be fatal – for humans, as well as other creatures, such as horses. 

Viscum album – Mistletoe: the kissing plant we hang above our doorways during the Christmas season, is actually poisonous.

In French, this is called le gui or bois de Sainte Croix. This plant was previously used in pagan rituals to signify male fertility, and it is indigenous to Europe and the British isles. 

How toxic? European mistletoe is more toxic than the American species. Ingesting the white berries or seeds can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, and in rare cases it can also lead to paralysis, cardiac arrest or death by asphyxiation. So keep it away from animals and children during your New Year festivities.

Lonicera xylosteum – This plant is known as Chèvrefeuille à balais in French, and ‘fly honeysuckle’ in English.

It is a shrub that grows to about one to two metres in height. It bears red berries after sprouting white flowers. It is important to distinguish between the flower and the nectar included therein versus the berries produced (which can be toxic). Usually, the flowers become berries in the fall.  

How toxic? The glossy red (or occasionally yellow) berries of this shrub are mildly poisonous to humans – children who ingest a large number of berries may experience abdominal pain and vomiting. Different species of honeysuckle range in toxicity.

Plants and flowers

Nerium oleander – This beautiful, pink flower is typically found in the South of France, and it is actually sometimes used as rat poison.

How toxic? All parts of the plant contain “oleandrin” which is toxic. Ingestion, even at low doses can be fatal. Even a few leaves can kill an adult. It is particularly important to be able to distinguish this plant from the Laurus nobilis, known in French as Laurier-sauce, which produces bay leaves that can be used in cooking.

Convallaria majalis – The lily of the valley, or le muguet, in French, is very popular on May 1st, or Worker’s Day. It is also toxic to ingest, and should be kept out of reach from children and pets. It is a woodland plant that blossoms with small white flowers. 

How toxic? Ingesting this plant – even the water of a vase having contained the plant – causes nausea, headaches, diarrhoea and in rare cases even cardiac disorders that can lead to death. It is most dangerous for small children and pets, but adults should be careful as well.

Ricinus communis – Le ricin, known as a castor bean shrub in English, is a plant gardeners love for its beautiful touches of colour.

Originally a tropical plant, you might come across this in gardens in France. It reaches a height of 4 to 12 metres, and is known for its large purple-green leaves and red. spiked fruits. Inside the fruits, there is a nut called the castor bean, which can be used to make the deadly poison ricin. 

As castor oil is used in soaps, cosmetics, and even as a food preservative. 

How toxic? Lethal doses of castor bean vary from 3 to 8 seeds, depending on the person and their age.

Digitalis purpurea – Known as foxglove or purple foxglove, is toxic and can even be deadly. Unfortunately, it is easily confused with ‘Common comfrey’ which is used in some homeopathic treatment.

In French, foxglove is called la digitale pourpre. It is known for having tubular shaped flowers of purple colouring. It is native to Europe. 

How toxic? All parts of the foxglove plant are toxic. If ingested, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness or restlessness, headaches, or visual disturbances may be observed. In the most serious cases, a slowing down of the cardiac rhythm until the heart stops can occur.

Veratrum album – White veratrum, or le vératre blanc in French, is highly toxic because of the alkaloids contained mainly in its roots. It can easily be confused with the the ‘yellow gentian’ (Gentiana lutea), whose roots are used in the summer for preparing aperitifs, wines and liqueurs in France. White veratrum has notable star shaped white flowers with green in the centre.

How toxic? All parts of the plant are poisonous, including its aroma. There have been several reported accidental poisonings from this plant, most leading to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, sinus bradycardia, and hypotension.

Mushrooms

France has a wide variety of mushrooms, some of which are delicious, some hallucinogenic and some simply fatal.

Mushroom foraging is a very popular pastime in the fall, but if you are not an expert then take your haul to the pharmacy before eating, as they can check that everything you have picked is safe.

READ MORE: What you need to know for safe and enjoyable mushroom picking in France

What to do if you think you have been exposed to a poisonous plant or fruit: 

First, you should keep children and pets away from all toxic plants and fruits. If you suspect poisoning, take a photo of the plant in question to help facilitate diagnosis. 

Experts also recommend not picking berries or flowers in large batches, in order to avoid potentially mixing toxic plants with non-toxic ones. Finally, it may seem like simple advice, but stop eating immediately if the plant has a foul or unpleasant taste.

If you know you or a child has been exposed to a toxic plant or fruit, call 15 or 112 immediately, especially if symptoms appear severe.

Gaël Le Roux, a clinical toxicologist, recommended in his article for The Conversation, that if a child has either “put leaves or berries in their mouth, rinse the inside of their mouth with a damp cloth, wash their hands, and call a poison control centre or consult a doctor in case of symptoms or at the slightest doubt regarding identifying whether or not the plant in question is toxic.”

It is best not to wait for symptoms to occur, and in the case of pets, contact a veterinary poison control centre immediately.  

If you are simply looking to identify whether a plant or fruit is toxic, you can ask a doctor or pharmacist. 

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FOOD AND DRINK

Explained: Restaurant bill etiquette in France

If you have plans for dinner out in France, here's a look at the etiquette over the bill - from where and how to pay to the culture around tipping.

Published: 28 May 2024 08:00 CEST
Explained: Restaurant bill etiquette in France

If you go out to eat in France, then there are a few things you should know about paying the bill afterwards. 

How to ask for the bill – When you’re ready, try to catch the server’s eye and ask for the bill (l’addition, s’il vous plaît). You can always ask for the bill while they clear your plates.

This may be common knowledge now, but resist the temptation to yell out garçon ! This is rude.

Unless you’re in a very busy or touristy place the bill is not usually presented until you ask for it – this is deliberate, French servers normally don’t like to hurry their customers and once you’ve finished dinner it’s perfectly OK to linger and chat over the dregs of the wine.

If you’re in a place that runs two service periods at night (usually one at around 7.30pm and one at 9pm) then you may be asked to clear your table by a certain time, but this should be made clear to you when you book or when you arrive. 

If it’s getting late and the place is emptying out the waiter may bring over the bill and ask you to pay so they can close up the till – but they’re not necessarily saying that you have to leave. If they start stacking up chairs, however, then that’s your cue to go home.

Where to pay the bill – One major difference between France and other countries is that many restaurants – usually more casual ones – will expect you to walk up to the cash register to pay the bill.

This means that once you feel ready to go you can just walk up and pay at the counter, rather than waiting for the bill.

You can always double check with the server by saying Est-ce qu’on paie ici ou au comptoir ? (Do we pay here or at the counter?) In many cases, the answer will be ‘either’ so it’s really up to you.

READ MORE: 8 tips for finding a good restaurant in France

How to split the bill – If you dined with a friend or friends, then you may want to split the bill. Some French restaurants use smart tablets that allow servers to click each of the items you ordered and then inform you of exactly how much you owe individually, while others will expect you to do the maths yourself. 

If you’re in a group, some restaurants will include the amount if the bill is divided equally by the number of people in your party, it’s usually just below the total.

The waiter will likely ask how you want to pay (Vous voulez régler comment ?). In response, you and your friend can tell the waiter on va partager l’addition (we are going to split the bill) once they come out with the card reader.

If you want to split it, you can say On va le diviser par deux/cinq, s’il vous plaît (we’ll divide it in half/divide it by five please). If there’s two of you can also say on va faire moitié-moitié.

If you don’t want to do an equal split – let’s say your friend had the lobster and foie gras and was drinking wine while you had a salad and a tap water – you can just do the maths yourself and then tell the server exactly how much you want to put on each card when they come out with the card machine.

READ MORE: Things you should never do when dining in France

How to leave a tip – In France, service is included as part of the bill, so – strictly speaking – it is not necessary to add a bit extra.

If you want to do so, you can check to see if there is a jar for pourboires (tips), which would be for small coins. In a similar spirit, you can leave a few coins on the table afterwards.

If you are paying by card, then you can also ask the waiter to round up your bill. So, let’s say your final bill is €27.30. In this case, you might just tell the server to put €30 on the card instead. They will revise the amount on the card reader. 

Ultimately, choosing to tip is a personal decision. The Local ran a survey of readers’ habits in France, and over 90 percent of respondents said that they tip at least some of the time.

But although almost everyone tips at least some of time, only a third (34.8 percent) said that they tipped every time they have drinks or go out.

In terms of how much to tip, that is also a matter of personal choice. Most respondents said that they would round-up a bill to include a tip, while others said that they would give some spare change. Most agreed that they added between 5 percent and 10 percent to a bill at a time.

READ MORE: ‘We tip less in France than in the US’ – readers reveal who they tip, and how much

Vocabulary guide

Sans contact – Contactless card payment (tapping your card on the machine)

Régler – To pay, a synonym for payer

La caisse – The cash register

Pourboires – Tips

L’addition – The bill

Au comptoir – At the counter

Par carte – By card (for payment)

Par espèces – By cash (for payment)

On va faire moitié-moitié – We’ll split it, half and half.

On va le diviser par deux/cinq, s’il vous plaît – We’ll divide it in half/divide it by five please.

Vous voulez régler comment ? – How do you want to pay?

Vous voulez votre ticket de caisse ? – Do you want your receipt?

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