Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Is Amaryllis poisonous to humans and housepets?
QUESTION:
Recently on Rebeccas Garden they said the Amaryllis you grow inside
around this time of year (yes, I got one for Christmas) is on the Top 5
of being poisonous, but I can't confirm that with anyone...can you?
ANSWER:
Yes, Amaryllis is poisonous. It contains lycorine which will make one very
nauseous and most people do a whole lot of vomiting. I don't know of anyone
actually killed by nibbling a naked lady bulb, but a few probably temporarily
wished they were.
If for some reason vomiting does not take place, one might consider a gastric
lavage, because are are some nervous system symptoms that set in if the body
doesn't get rid of it.
We used to have some 70-year-old bulbs send up a flower every other year or so
at an old place we owned in Davis.