By Lisa Kava
The West 80’s Neighborhood Association is hosting its annual Daffodil Bulb Giveaway this Sunday, September 25, at noon. The giveaway will take place on the northeast corner of Amsterdam Ave and West 84th Street.
Free daffodil bulbs will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis. Residents can “plant these bulbs in street tree beds, community gardens, parks and other public spaces, and contribute to the beautification of NYC when the daffodils bloom this spring 2023,” the event flyer says. Participants should bring their own bag to collect the daffodils.
The bulbs will be provided by the organization New Yorkers for Parks, as part of their Daffodil Project, “a celebration of New Yorkers championing parks equity in their communities,” and meant to commemorate the victims of 9/11 and Covid-19. The Daffodil Project was established in 2001.
The Daffodil Bulb Giveaway is one of three events included in Love Your Street Tree Day, a larger initiative spearheaded by the West 80’s Neighborhood Association. “Love Your Street Tree Day was established as an idea and model for increasing street tree stewardship, not only on the Upper West Side, but throughout New York City,” Melissa Elstein, Secretary and Co-Founder of the association told West Side Rag.
Besides the Fall Daffodil Bulb Giveaway, the West 80’s Neighborhood Association helps the Riverside Park Conservancy with Mulchfest in January, and organizes a spring clean-up planting event which changes each year.
What a lovely thing to do! Thank you guys (and gals)!!!
Dear Westside Rag and West 80’s Neighborhood Association:
When I saw the daffodil bulb giveaway item in today’s WSR, I immediately thought, “How lovely! Yes, let’s anticipate spring beauty as we slip into winter’s rigors.” But then a troublesome memory of a long-ago warning interfered with my pleasure. I’d once heard that daffodils are dangerous. So I checked and guess what: They are.
According to the National Capital Poison Center at https://www.poison.org/articles/daffodils daffodils should be kept “out of the sight and reach of small children and pets.” It turns out that while the bulb is the most toxic part of the daffodil, the rest of the plant also contains the toxic chemical lycorine which can cause serious abdominal upset. Dogs, cats, and horses are also susceptible to daffodil poisoning. Check https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/daffodil for more information.
Perhaps planting large numbers of daffodils all over the neighborhood isn’t such a wonderful idea after all. Too bad.
Re: Dogs, cats, and horses are also susceptible to daffodil poisoning. ”
Dogs: yes, Fido/Fida on a leash might try to munch a daffodil, but the fur-less tail-less biped holding the leash would probably stop him/her/hix (trendy non-binary dog);
Cats: No self-respecting cat would allow itself to be walked on a leash; and
Horses: They’re all busy schlepping carriages full of over-weight tourists through Central Park
Thanks West Side Rag for this wonderful article about our and New Yorkers for Parks’ 2022 Daffodil Bulb Giveaway! It’s a wonderful free annual event for the community.
As for the concern in a comment below regarding toxicity of daffodil bulbs, the bulbs are to be planted 6 inches deep in tree bed soil , parks and/ or community gardens. See these directions:
https://www.ny4p.org/client-uploads/pdf/Daffodil-Project/Daffodil-Project-planting-instructions.pdf
Do not leave your bulbs in places (before you safely plant them) where children or pets could access them. This is also goes for many household plants! And by the way chocolate too!
We hope everyone will appreciate the beauty of the daffodil flowers this Spring 2023 and acknowledge the memory of the 9/11 victims and families as well.
Well said! I can’t wait to attend this lovely event today that is part of a wider NYC remembrance of those we lost 21 years ago. It’s also amazing to have such opportunities to bring our community together for something so positive.