Daffodils (
Narcissus spp.) are a popular spring-flowering bulb which blooms early spring. Daffodils develop attractive, yellow to cream-colored flowers that are usually single or in small groups, each having 6 petals with a trumpet-shaped corona in the middle of the flower. The leaves are long, flat, hollow and green. There are about 50 species of daffodil and more than 13,000 hybrids.
Toxic components
Daffodils, as well as other members of the
Agapanthus genus, contain several toxins, including saponins, sapogenins, and a number of amaryllidaceae alkaloids (lycorine being the most common toxin). The leaves, berries, stems, and roots all contain toxic compounds, but the most potent concentration is found in bulbs, also referred to as rhizomes or corms. The flowers are not toxic. If horses make contact with the sap of the bulbs or stems of daffodils, they can develop
contact dermatitis.
