Daffodils (aka Narcissus, Paper White, or Jonquil) contain the toxin, lycorine, and calcium oxalate crystals, and they are definitely toxic to cats, dogs, livestock, and people.
Luckily, these members of the Amaryllidaceae family of plants are not tasty.
They are also repellent to plant pests, deer, and rabbits, so for the most part, you needn’t worry about pets and livestock eating them.
Even so, it’s good to know what you are dealing with. In this article, we discuss the toxicity of daffodils.
What Parts Of The Plant Are Poisonous Or Toxic?
Daffodil bulbs are the most toxic part of the plant, but all parts of the plant are toxic to some extent.
Luckily, the buried daffodil bulbs are unlikely to be bothered by pets, livestock, or children.
However, gardeners should wash up after handling them.
The sap of the stems and leaves can also cause skin irritation when handled, as can the flowers.
All parts of the plant are toxic to ingest.
What Are The Symptoms Of Poisoning?
Contact with the sap can cause skin and eye irritation and result in a rash.
Ingesting the flowers, stems, leaves, or bulbs can cause an array of symptoms, including:
- Low blood pressure
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Labored breathing
- Tissue irritation
- Stomach pain
- Tachycardia
- Shivering
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Diarrhea
- Drooling
- Nausea
If you believe your pet or child has ingested any part of a daffodil, you should seek medical assistance.
If left untreated, ingestion of these plants could be fatal. [source]
How To Protect Yourself While Handling Daffodils?
It’s always good to wear gardening gloves or disposable gloves when planting bulbs, pruning, cutting flowers, etc.
You may also wish to wear eye protection. Take care not to touch your eyes, eat or smoke while handling daffodils
Additionally, wash up after performing gardening tasks to prevent potential skin irritation caused by contact with the sap.
Teach children to look-but-don’t touch, and always supervise them during gardening tasks.
It’s always a good idea to wash up when coming in from the outdoors.
Because daffodils do not taste good, most pets and livestock will not bother them outdoors.
However, indoor pets are often on the lookout for things to do for fun.
They may be more likely to bother potted plants and cut flowers, so be sure to keep daffodils out of the reach of indoor cats and dogs.
