BBC's Countryfile, one of Britain's most loved (and longest-running) TV shows, promoted Kew's Grow Wild campaign, offering viewers 230,000 free packets of mixed wild flower seeds to sow in their gardens or in public spaces.

Unfortunately, the packets contained seeds of the poisonous corncockle which had been on the verge of extinction in Britain. Touching the plant is not really risky. However, consumption of its seeds or the plants may cause vomiting, severe stomach ache, dizziness, slow breathing, diarrhea and even death.

The packets were sent to members in March and Kew took care of their production and distribution. This indicates that these poisonous flowers could have grown in other public areas as well.

Countryfile worked with Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. Viewers have already accused the BBC and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, which is behind the Grow Wild project.

However, the director of the Kew Innovation Unit, Professor Monique Simmonds, assured the gardeners that plants are not very risky as there is no evidence that eating a few seeds would cause acute toxicity.

He said the corncockle does not cause toxicity until and unless it's eaten in large amounts. Toxicity is found in higher concentrations in the seeds, which are hard and bitter. According to him, if it's consumed by a child, it would most likely cause a stomach ache.

Guy Barter, Chief Horticultural Advisor to the RHS (Royal Horticulture Society), mentions that corn-cockle (officially called Agrostemma githago) is potentially harmful like many other garden plants, especially if consumed. He said, "Merely touching this plant is a very low risk indeed. We know of no instances of harm occurring from this plant in gardens, but in the past, cases of poisoning occurred from consuming contaminated bread".