Tag: Colchicine

Seedless watermelons are created through a traditional breeding process that, at an early stage, uses colchicine to double a parent plant's chromosomes. This initial, chemical-assisted step has led to a widespread health concern: is colchicine in watermelon? For consumers, the answer is a simple and reassuring 'no'.

For thousands of years, the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine has been used medicinally and is derived from a number of botanical sources. The plant most notably known for providing the alkaloid when answering the question "which plant has colchicine?" is the autumn crocus (*Colchicum autumnale*).

While many plants with 'lily' in their name are highly toxic, the common daylily (*Hemerocallis fulva*) is a well-known edible plant. However, confusion persists, making the question of **which daylilies are not edible?** a critical one for home gardeners and foragers alike. The distinction is not just about human consumption but also about protecting pets from lethal poisoning.