The magnificent and radiantly shining flowers of the daffodils are among the heralds of spring that can transform the garden into a sea of blossoms with relatively little maintenance. Often, however, seemingly omnipresent plants such as daffodils are underestimated in terms of their toxicity.

The daffodil bulbs in particular are highly poisonous

Ingredients and their concentration in daffodils

The daffodil or yellow daffodil contains various alkaloids such as lycorine, calcium oxalate, haemanthamine and various bitter substances. These are distributed throughout the plant, but the highest concentration is found in the bulbs. Homeopathic amounts of these substances are used in natural medicine to treat bronchitis and diarrhea, but this should only be done by healthcare professionals.

Effects of toxins on humans and animals

The leaf material and bulbs of daffodils can cause the following effects when consumed in humans and animals:

  • Vomit
  • diarrhea
  • stomach pain
  • cardiac arrhythmias
  • Signs of paralysis with subsequent collapse

Since even small amounts of food can cause death in children and dogs, they should not be able to get to the bulbs while planting daffodils. If there is a suspicion of poisoning with plant parts or daffodil bulbs, plenty of drinking water and activated charcoal should first be administered. A doctor should then remove the poison from the stomach tract as soon as possible.

Precautions when handling daffodils

Since daffodils are also often sold as cut flowers, children and pets should be wary of the toxic water in the flower vase. After a mere touch during the flowering period, thorough washing of hands is enough to ward off danger. However, florists sometimes experience skin irritation/dermatitis after intensive contact with the plant sap.

tips

The greatest danger with daffodils is accidental consumption due to the bulbs being confused with onions. Therefore, the bulbs, which are hardy anyway, should not be dug up after flowering and should never be stored in the cellar next to the onions.

Category:

Vegetable garden