Prince George Princess Charlotte
Britain's Prince George looks into the pram of his sister Princess Charlotte after her christening at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Britain July 5, 2015. Third in line to succeed the British throne, Prince George will celebrate his birthday on 22 July 2015. Reuters/Matt Dunham/Pool

Health experts warned the royal couple, Princess Kate Middleton and Prince William, about a poisonous laburnum tree recently discovered in their Anmer Hall garden. The tree is highly toxic and presents a health risk for Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The discovery of the ornamental laburnum tree was made after local officials conducted a tree survey in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Anmer Hall property. This was part of an inspection done for the royal couple’s tennis court planning application, the Mirror reported. The survey results have been posted on the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council website, which also includes the plans for the new tennis court.

Kate and William seemed unaware that the 23-foot-high tree is a laburnum, given that the tennis court architect’s plans previously identified the tree as an acer. Leigh Hunt, principal horticultural adviser at the Royal Horticultural Society, mentioned that the royal couple needed to be made aware of the dangers and risks of having a laburnum in their Anmer Hall garden.

Hunt said that the tree may look very beautiful especially during early summer when small yellow flowers would bloom on the ornamental laburnum. However, all parts of the tree are toxic including the seeds, bark and leaves, and can be potentially fatal if a large amount is eaten.

"The main concern is that children might eat the seeds which look like pea pods. Children are often aware of podded peas and might think the laburnum seeds are edible as well. Families with young children should certainly warn their children of the risk if they have a laburnum in their garden. But if they have children who are prone to putting things in their mouths, then they might consider removing the tree," Hunt said.

According to the Express, symptoms of laburnum poisoning include a burning mouth, nausea and vomiting between 30 minutes to an hour after ingestion. Dr. Kate King, spokeswoman for Public Health England, mentioned that precautions should be taken to prevent children from eating or touching the seeds. King advised parents to wash their children’s hands thoroughly in case they came in contact with the laburnum seeds. She also mentioned that the seed pods should be removed from the ground during autumn to ensure children will not eat them.

The poisonous laburnum tree is just one of the ten trees to be removed from Princess Kate and Prince William’s Anmer Hall garden, to make way for the couple’s relocated tennis court. The local officials are reportedly set to release their decision over the royal couple’s planning application in the next few days.

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