Daffodils might be one of the of most popular and common wild flowers in the UK – but they’re not as “innocent” as you may think, according to one gardening expert.
Adam Kirtland, who offers advice on all things horticulture via social media and his podcast, View From The Potting Bench, took to TikTok to detail the flower’s potential danger. “They’ve got more than a few naughty secrets,” he joked, before getting down to serious matters.
Indeed, there are three facts Adam suggests you familiarise yourself with when it comes to the national flower of Wales. “They are survival experts because animals just won’t touch them as they’re packed with toxins,” he explained.
Adam went on to explain that daffodils possess “secret medicinal powers” in the form of a compound called galantamine, which is used to help treat Alzheimer’s Disease. “They are more than just a pretty face,” he said.
But now for the downside – their “seriously sneaky sap”, as Adam put it. “If you get that sap on your hands, it can cause serious irritation,” he cautioned.
And he closed his guidance: “Not only that – but if you put them in a vase with other flowers, it can make them flop. So next time you’re handling daffodils, be careful not to get any sap on your hands.”
The information was news to many of Adam’s 22,000 followers, one of which admitted: “Oh wow. I did not know about the medicinal benefits.”
A second TikTok user commented: “So is that why the daffodil is the symbol/flower for dementia awareness/charity. Makes sense now. Yes daffodils irritated my hands when I handle a lot of them at once. They are my favourite flower.”
A third person quipped: “Those naughty sneaky daffodils – they strike again!” Whilst a fourth revealed: “With a Greek name [Narcissus] meaning numb, due to narcotic properties.”
The RHS, meanwhile, offers an additional daffodil health caution on it’s website, explaining: “Daffodil bulbs are poisonous, causing a stomach upset if eaten. They are easily and regularly mistaken for onions, so to avoid any confusion always keep stored daffodil bulbs in labelled bags, and don’t plant them where onions might be grown.”
And when it comes to growing your own, it advises: “Plant in early September, in fertile, well-drained conditions with plenty of sun. They are happy in containers as well as in the ground, where they do best planted at a depth of three times the height of the bulb.”
