A Dangerous Plant: The City Mayor Banned Growing Cacti in Buildings (3 photos)

Prickly plants have been banned from town halls, schools and kindergartens. Mayor Ulrich Schulte said the cacti could cause disfiguring injuries.





The mayor of Plettenberg, Germany, has banned prickly plants from municipal buildings after a man was treated for a cactus injury in a school building.

A man was treated for a cactus injury in a school building.

"What was an injury to the hand of an adult man could easily have become a serious injury to the face of a small child in the same place," the council said.



The council staff said that the nature of the injury cannot be disclosed due to the need to protect the privacy and confidentiality of our employees.

"In view of the current situation, all official and private cacti (Cactaceae) must be removed from municipal buildings immediately," Plettenberg Mayor Ulrich Schulte said in a letter to local civil servants.

According to the mayor, the ban is being introduced because the thorny plants can "cause disfiguring injuries." According to him, cacti will be banned not only in schools and kindergartens, but also in all municipal premises.

"Even if some employees find this order adventurous, excessive, unnecessary or ridiculous, it has a serious background in terms of protecting the health of all employees and especially children in schools and kindergartens," the mayor added.

A council representative told local media that the city has since successfully implemented the ban on growing cacti.