Adding daffodils to a floral bouquet is often considered a big no-no as they can kills your other flowers - but florists have revealed a nifty trick that means you can include daffodils in your spring bouquets.
If you’ve gone to the effort of planting daffodils, then wouldn’t you want to enjoy them as part of a floral display? Daffodils' toxic tendencies around other flowers can mean you’re left wondering what to do with daffodils after flowering.
But florists say that following this easy hack and letting your daffodils rest before including them in your display is a simple way to ensure a beautiful bouquet that doesn’t wilt - this is everything you need to know.
How to include daffodils in a bouquet
When you cut daffodils, they release a sticky sap is that can be toxic to both people and plants - and once added to a vase of water can poison the water, causing your other flowers to die and wilt.
‘Daffodils are toxic to other flowers because they release a chemical called lycorine and other alkaloids, as well as calcium oxalate crystals, which can be harmful to surrounding plants,’ explains Larry Walshe, celebrity florist and events designer.
So, when looking to create a bouquet on a budget, you want to avoid the sap mixing in with the water or coming into contact with your other flowers - and this can be achieved quite simply.
‘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,’ says David Denyer, flower expert at Eflorist.
‘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.’
But that’s not all, Larry also has a few tricks up his sleeve to prevent toxic sap ruining your efforts.
‘Some florists apply floral stem sealers (£13.99 on Amazon) or dip the ends of daffodil stems in hot water (for 5-10 seconds) to stop sap flow. Another trick is wrapping the bottom of the stem with floral tape to create a barrier,’ he says.
‘For maximum safety, you can place daffodils in small water tubes (£6.99 on Amazon) or separate containers within the arrangement. This prevents any sap from leaking into the shared water.’
You should also consider pairing daffodils with hardier plants, such as hyacinths and irises, as they are less likely to be affected by daffodils compared to roses and tulips.
For many of us, daffodils are the sign that spring has sprung, and I always feel a sense of cheer when I spot the bright yellow heads emerge - which is why they deserve a place in a vase in spring.
What you need:
Keeping you daffodils in individual tubes keeps the stems - and therefore the sap - away from your other flowers and prevents them from poisoning the water.
Florists tape can be placed on the end of the daffodils stem, prevent sap from leaking into the water.
If you haven't got any daffodils in bloom, don't worry, you can purchase a bunch to integrate into your bouquet.
Will you be trying this hack out? Let us know how it goes.
