Are narcissus flowers and their bulbs toxic, and can they be grown indoors and replanted after blooming?

Narcissus is one of China's top ten famous flowers, a fine offering in Chinese folk tradition, commonly known as the “fairy on the waves.” Every New Year, people like to display narcissus in clean water as a festive holiday flower. So are narcissus flowers and their bulbs toxic? Can they be grown indoors? Can they be replanted after blooming?

I. Are narcissus flowers and their bulbs toxic? Can they be grown indoors?

1. Are narcissus flowers and their bulbs both toxic?

The narcissus flower is toxic, though its toxicity is relatively mild, while the bulb is highly toxic. The bulb contains lycorine, and accidental ingestion causes symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, a rapid and weak pulse, cold sweats, diarrhea, and irregular breathing. Special care should also be taken not to get its sap into the eyes.

An infusion of the bulb has a strong excitatory effect on the uterus of guinea pigs, rabbits and cats, and can make pigeons vomit, so narcissus must not be taken internally. Do not come into prolonged contact with it; as long as it is only brief, normal touching and it is not eaten, there is no risk of poisoning.

2. Can narcissus be grown indoors?

The fragrance of narcissus is not toxic, but the pollen (including that of narcissus) can cause allergic reactions in a small number of people with allergic constitutions. So growing it indoors is fine, but pay attention to indoor ventilation. When narcissus is in bloom, its pollen is extremely harmful to pregnant women, and the sap of the flowers and leaves can cause red, swollen skin. Also make sure children do not accidentally eat it, and take care for safety.

II. Can narcissus bulbs be replanted after blooming?

The narcissus bulb is in fact the root of the narcissus flower. Since the narcissus bulb declines after blooming, quite a few people may ask whether narcissus bulbs can be planted a second time; in fact, narcissus bulbs can be planted.

Narcissus is a bulbous flower planted in autumn. It grows in autumn, blooms in early spring, stores nutrients in spring, and goes dormant in summer. For narcissus grown in the ground, after the leaves turn yellow and wither, around early June, dig up the bulbs, detach the offset bulbs, cut off the yellow leaves, leave them in a ventilated place for 2 to 3 days, and store them after drying. In autumn, plant them again in open ground or in flower pots, covering with soil just enough to bury the bulbs.

When growth begins in autumn, apply 20% decomposed human and livestock manure water once or twice a month. After two or three years of growth, it can still bloom. In the later stage of growth, in August and September, gently push the soil away from the roots and stems to expose the bulbs, so as to help the bulbs swell and the flower buds differentiate. For narcissus grown in water, from October to December, place large, plump bulbs in a small shallow dish or narcissus bowl filled with pretty small pebbles, then place the narcissus bowl in a sunny spot on a balcony or indoors, and it will bloom at Spring Festival.

After the flowers fade, cut off the spent blooms and transfer the bulbs with their leaves to an ordinary flower pot or into the ground for cultivation. Narcissus bulbs consume a great deal of nutrients, and after blooming, it takes another three years before they can bloom again. For crab-claw narcissus grown in water, because the nutrients in the bulb are almost completely exhausted by flowering and leafing, it is generally not planted again.