TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei City government is under fire after ornamental bonsais at some display zones of the 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival were found to be toxic if ingested.

Taipei City Councilor Hsu Chia-pei (許家蓓) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lashed out at the government in a Friday (Feb. 17) Facebook post about the decision to embellish the annual lantern showcase with foxgloves. The fuchsia flower can be seen at Taipei City Hall Square and Four-Four South Village in southern Taipei.

Citing information from the Council of Agriculture, Hsu said while the plant can be used for medical purposes, particularly to make digoxin that treats heart conditions, if eaten it can be poisonous. All parts of the plant are considered toxic if consumed, according to Britannica.

With the event drawing crowds, children and pets could be exposed to contact with the foxglove bonsais, she warned. She panned the Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) administration for its lax safety measures and urged remedial action.

The city’s Parks and Street Lights Office has sought to play down any health risk associated with the plant, saying it does not pose a danger simply by touching it. Warning signs, though, will be put up in the two display areas in question, it added.