With the official start date of spring on the horizon (20th March), daffodils have begun blooming around us. Not only are daffodils starting once again to become part of our outdoor scenery, but you might’ve spotted them creeping their way into the supermarkets too.
With some retailers selling a bunch of daffodils for as little as £1, picking up a bunch of these bright yellow petals is a cost-effective way to brighten up any home amid the gloomy March weather.
However, before mixing your £1 daffodils with other flowers to create a bouquet arrangement, David Denyer, flower expert at Eflorist has shared a vital tip you must do—or risk the daffodils killing the other flowers.
David explains that when daffodils are cut, their stems release a toxic sap. You’ve probably noticed some thick, sticky stuff at the ends if you’ve ever cut daffodils—and this is where the sap comes from.
This sap contains toxins, and when put in a vase, it can actually poison the water—causing the other blooms to wilt and die.
And whilst it’s a common belief that you can’t mix daffodils with other flowers in floral arrangements because of this, that isn’t entirely true. As such, David has shared his top tip for those looking to use daffodils in floral arrangements this spring.
David explains: “When you first cut the bottom of the stems of daffodils, they’ll start to emit the sticky toxic sap.
“You should always wear gloves when cutting daffodils as this sap can also be toxic to humans, causing some people to rash or itch when handling them.
“Daffodils are soft-stemmed, so should be cut straight across the stem as opposed to the 45° angle other varieties need.
“While daffodils look beautiful on their own, mixing them with other flowers is an easy way to brighten up a room and create depth to your bouquet.
“So to do this, simply place your cut daffodils in some water for a few hours and allow the sap to drain before adding them to an arrangement of other flowers.
“That’s it! Don’t worry about having to isolate your daffodils every time you cut the stems and change the water of your bouquet—the initial draining and isolation should do the trick.
“For best care, daffodils like to be kept in shallow water which you should change every couple of days.”