Daffodils in bloom in St James’ ParkCat owners will probably already know that innocent-seeming lilies can be poisonous to their pets (tulips can also be harmful to your furry friends). And, like a lot of people who grew up in the countryside, I already know to steer clear of hemlock, foxglove, and monkshood.Still, around this time every year, I always picked daffodils for a sunny indoor bouquet. I had no idea about the reality that David Denyer, flower expert at Eflorist, shared with me over email today: they contain a “sticky toxic sap,” he said.How toxic is daffodil sap?The sap of daffodils is toxic because it contains chemicals amaryllidaceous alkaloids, which protect against parasites and other animals that eat plants.These chemicals have a cytotoxic, or cell-killing, effect ― 15g of daffodil sap can kill a dog, Plantura says. Eating daffodils can lead to dizziness, sickness, paralysis, and even death, though most people don’t do that. However, David told HuffPost UK: “You should always wear gloves when cutting daffodils as this sap can also be toxic to humans, causing some people to rash or itch when handling them.” He adds that the stem emits the sap as soon as it’s cut. Additionally, “Daffodils are soft-stemmed, so should be cut straight across the stem as opposed to the 45° angle other varieties need.”Can I mix daffodils with other flowers?Nope ― that “toxic” sap can spell disaster for neighbouring blooms too (for something so pretty, they’re surprisingly lethal). David says it can “poison” the water, though he adds there is a way to mix the flowers into the rest of your bouquet.“To do this, simply place your cut daffodils in some water for a few hours and allow the sap to drain before adding them to an arrangement of other flowers,” he explained. “Don’t worry about having to isolate your daffodils every time you cut the stems and change the water of your bouquet — the initial draining and isolation should do the trick.” Related…People Are Just Realising What Those Clumps In Trees Really Are, And I Had No ClueSo THAT’s Why Museums Make You Instantly SleepyI’ve Started Handing Out ‘Flowers For The Living.’ It’s Changed My Life In Beautiful Ways. Life, Home and Garden, Nature and Environment, Flowers, home-and-garden, nature-and-environment, flowers HuffPost UK – Athena2 – All Entries (Public)
Daffodils in bloom in St James’ ParkCat owners will probably already know that innocent-seeming lilies can be poisonous to their pets (tulips can also be harmful to your furry friends).
And, like a lot of people who grew up in the countryside, I already know to steer clear of hemlock, foxglove, and monkshood.
Still, around this time every year, I always picked daffodils for a sunny indoor bouquet.
I had no idea about the reality that David Denyer, flower expert at Eflorist, shared with me over email today: they contain a “sticky toxic sap,” he said.
How toxic is daffodil sap?
The sap of daffodils is toxic because it contains chemicals amaryllidaceous alkaloids, which protect against parasites and other animals that eat plants.
These chemicals have a cytotoxic, or cell-killing, effect ― 15g of daffodil sap can kill a dog, Plantura says.
Eating daffodils can lead to dizziness, sickness, paralysis, and even death, though most people don’t do that.
However, David told HuffPost UK: “You should always wear gloves when cutting daffodils as this sap can also be toxic to humans, causing some people to rash or itch when handling them.”
He adds that the stem emits the sap as soon as it’s cut.
Additionally, “Daffodils are soft-stemmed, so should be cut straight across the stem as opposed to the 45° angle other varieties need.”
Can I mix daffodils with other flowers?
Nope ― that “toxic” sap can spell disaster for neighbouring blooms too (for something so pretty, they’re surprisingly lethal).
David says it can “poison” the water, though he adds there is a way to mix the flowers into the rest of your bouquet.
“To do this, simply place your cut daffodils in some water for a few hours and allow the sap to drain before adding them to an arrangement of other flowers,” he explained.
“Don’t worry about having to isolate your daffodils every time you cut the stems and change the water of your bouquet — the initial draining and isolation should do the trick.”
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