The flowers you should never give on Mother’s Day as you could be fined

Mother’s Day is in less than a week and if you’ve forgotten to plan ahead to buy her something, flowers are a popular choice. However there’s one type of flower that could see you £5000 out of pocket if you‘re caught picking it. Josh Novell, gardening expert and director of Polhill Garden Centre, said: “Picking your own flowers for your mum is a lovely, thoughtful and cheap gift, especially if it’s with a child, but many people don’t realise that removing certain flowers without permission is illegal.

Daffodils are everywhere at this time of year, and their bright, eye-catching colours make them a tempting choice, but it's important to keep an eye on your children to ensure they don’t pick them in public areas.” Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, picking daffodils from public areas, particularly Sites of Special Scientific Interest, without permission is considered illegal. Those caught could face fines of up to £5,000 or in extreme cases, a six month prison sentence.



This law also applies to other protected flowers like bluebells, snowdrops and primroses, which are also in bloom this time of year. Aside from being illegal, picking these flowers harms the ecosystem. Removing them disrupts the balance of the environment, and stops the plant's ability to reproduce, potentially preventing them from returning in future years.

If you want to give your mum something homemade and thoughtful there are plenty of other options - you could buy seeds and help her plant them, or plant them yourself for next year's flowers. If you are out picking flowers, make sure you limit yourself to one flower per twenty, only pick from abundant areas, and leave plenty for others. If you have kids, it’s the perfect chance to teach them about respecting the environment.

Help them understand that preserving these plants allows them to continue providing habitats and food sources for wildlife..