You may have heard of fake plants, but they’re not new.
But they’re being used by the decor industry in an alarming way.
And now, the fake plants are back.
The BBC’s Dan Johnson spoke to a few experts to find out how to avoid them.
Fake plants can cause confusion and lead to problems.
The most common form of fake plant is a “ladybug” called a ladybug flower, which is sold as a garden ornament and is often found in the market as a decorative flower.
“Ladybugs don’t actually live in a flower, but the ladybugs are the larvae and the flower is the mother,” explained Karen Wootton, an associate professor at University College London.
“So the ladybug is the ‘lady’ of the flower, and the lady beetle is the larva.”
In some cases, the larval ladybug will attack the flower to protect itself from other ladybugs.
In some cases it may even sting the flower.
“The ladybug actually lays its eggs in the flower itself,” Ms Wootson said.
“It can be a real problem if you’re selling flowers as a decoration, because the lady bug larvae can bite into the flower and make it vulnerable to attack.”
Fake plants may cause problems with your property, too.
The best way to avoid these is to avoid plants that have been planted in your yard or garden.
“There are a number of garden plants that can be poisonous,” Ms Denton said.
“I’ve never found anything that’s toxic, but some of the poisonous plants I’ve found have been in gardens that I’ve never been in.”
What to look out for fake plants In order to avoid the dangerous ladybugs, be aware of the following things:You should always read the label of any product before buying itFake plants are often sold as an art pieceFake plants look similar to real plantsFake plants should never be sold as your home decorationFake plants have a long history, but it’s been a long time since fake plants were sold in the UK In the UK, fake plants have been a problem for a long while.
In 2009, the Food Standards Agency banned them as a cosmetic product.
In 2009, a British man named William O’Leary died from a bout of mange after eating the fake flowers in his garden.
In 2010, a man from Kent died after he was bitten by the larvae of a fake plant.
In 2015, a UK man died after eating a fake flower he bought online.
In 2014, a woman in Wales died from an allergic reaction to the fake plant she bought online from a friend.
What to do if you’ve been affectedThe best way of avoiding the plant is to make sure you know which flowers are sold in your local market and what to look for when you go looking for them.
If you’re buying a flower from a local garden centre, ask to see the garden centre’s information sheet.
You can also look for the label and other details on the back of the product, such as a colour.
Fake plants will often appear with other plant products, so you may want to look to see if it’s a garden product.
If you suspect that the fake flower has caused a problem, you can contact the gardener for advice.
“It’s very important to ask about the product,” Ms Kempton said.
You may also want to get a report from the plant’s manufacturer.
“If they’re going to be selling a flower they should put out a statement saying they’re concerned about the health and safety of the plant,” Ms O’Brien said.
If the product is a garden decoration, look out to see where it’s sold.
If it’s not a garden, look for information about it on the packaging.
If a plant is sold in a supermarket, you should check the shelf, which may be labelled with the name of the retailer.
“Look at the label,” Ms Eaves said.
“You can’t tell what’s fake or what’s real, so if you see something that looks like a garden or a plant that looks a bit similar to one, then that’s definitely a fake.”
The best advice you can give to your gardener is to not buy the plant, because it’s likely to have a toxic effect on the plant.
“We’ve had a number cases where we’ve had plants that are poisoned by ladybugs that have eaten the flowers,” Ms Muth said.