[Daffodils, jonquils, and other types of narcissus are the harbingers of spring, so you may be tempted to bring them indoors to brighten a room. Go ahead and put them in a vase! However, it’s not just an urban legend that daffodils poison other flowers. Take a look at the chemistry involved and learn how to safely use daffodils with other flowers.

Daffodils and their kin are poisonous to people and animals, not just to other plants and cut flowers. All members of the Narcissus family contain the alkaloid poison lycorine. The toxin is concentrated in the plant’s bulb, but it’s also found in the leaves and stems. Ingesting parts of the plant can tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and even death! Picking the flowers can cause a form of dermatitis called “daffodil itch,” resulting from absorption of lycorine and other alkaloids, calcium oxalate, and chelidonic acid. Even smelling daffodils can cause headaches and vomiting in pets and sensitive people.

The toxic properties of daffodils help protect them from being eaten by animals or infected by fungi and molds, but some compounds also affect other plants. Daffodils and jonquils may be planted around a garden to protect it from rodents and deer, but you need to avoid planting too close to roses, cabbage, or rice because chemicals released by Narcissus can stunt the growth of these plants.]

Do Daffodils Poison Other Flowers?