Are tulips poisonous to people?

It wouldn't occur to most people who look at a beautiful bed of flowering tulips that the plants would be edible. At times, though, tulips were eaten. In Holland in World War II, people were starving, so they tried eating some of the tulip bulbs they raised for commerce. read more

Both hyacinths and tulips belong to the Liliaceae family, and contain allergenic lactones or similar alkaloids. The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), and when ingested in large amounts, can result in severe clinical signs. read more

All parts of the tulip plant contain poisonous compounds, but the bulbs are most dangerous. In times of famine, people used to consume the bulbs and faced negative consequences. Also, the bulbs can be mistaken occasionally for edible onion bulbs and accidentally consumed, especially by children and animals. read more