The Taipei City Government, under pressure from city councilors, acknowledged on Tuesday that a number of trees and plants in the city’s parks have toxic fruit or leaves, and promised to stop planting them.
At a Taipei City Council hearing on Tuesday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Councilor Ouyang Lung (歐陽龍) said that 25 percent of the more than 800,000 trees and shrubs in Taipei have toxic fruit or leaves.
Those who come into contact with the leaves or eat the fruit may suffer from allergic reactions or develop symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting, Ouyang said.
Chen Chia-chin (陳嘉欽), the director of Taipei City’s Parks and Street Lights Office, said that 68 kinds of trees planted in city parks and along sidewalks have toxic elements.
The Odollam erberus tree, the Pagoda tree, the Chinese tallow tree and the paperbark were among those Chen said were potentially hazardous.
Chen said that people should not touch the leaves or eat the fruit of these trees and plants, but added that his office had no plans to remove them.
He said, however, that no more trees and plants that might pose a health hazard would be planted, and that the city would post warning signs near trees with poisonous leaves or fruit.
The Parks and Street Lights Office is responsible for the planning, construction and management of parks in Taipei.
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