Plant Guide: Narcissus

Daffodils are perhaps the best known and most widely planted bulbous plants, and for many people they are the quintessential spring flower. Planted en masse in the garden or naturalised in grass, they are a spectacular sight. They also look wonderful in pots and make excellent cut flowers. The best known are the yellow daffodils, but there are also all kinds of shades of white, cream, orange and pink. The central part of the flower, the trumpet or corona, is often a different colour from the petals and can even be bicoloured. There are numerous species and cultivars, and the genus Narcissus is divided into 12 main groups based on flower shape and flowering time. Height varies from 7.5–50 cm, depending on the variety.

Trumpet The trumpet is at least as long as the petals. Each stem carries a single flower.

Large-cupped The cup is shorter than the trumpet but more than half the length of the petals. One flower per stem.

Small-cupped The length of the cup is less than half that of the petals; usually one flower per stem.

Double Double or semi-double flowers, singly or in small clusters on a flower stem. The whole flower can be double, or just the trumpet.

Triandrus Two to six nodding flowers with reflexed petals, typically several flowers per stem.

Cyclamineus Slightly nodding flowers with a long trumpet and strongly reflexed petals, usually one flower per stem.

Jonquilla Sweetly scented. Several flowers per stem, with a short trumpet.

Tazetta / bunch-flowered Half-hardy. Highly fragrant flowers in clusters of 10 or more per stem. Early flowering.

Poeticus Small red or orange trumpet and broad white petals. Late flowering, usually one flower per stem.

Split-corona The corona is split to a greater or lesser depth.

Wild species True wild species and varieties that do not fully belong to the groups above.

Miscellaneous Hybrids that do not belong to any of the groups above.

GROWING CONDITIONS

Position These bulbs thrive best in a spot in the sun or under deciduous trees where they get sun early in spring.

Location Plant daffodils in beds and borders, in rock gardens, in pots, or under a terrace or indoors. Make sure the soil is well-draining; it is ideal to dig in plenty of organic matter about a month before planting.

GROWING

Planting Planting depth varies with the size of the bulb. Plant the bulb in September or October, deep enough that it is covered by a layer of soil twice the height of the bulb. Plant as early as possible for the best results.

Feeding Apply some granular fertiliser or cow manure in spring. After flowering you can apply some liquid fertiliser.

PROBLEMS

Viral disease Certain viruses cause streaking or malformed flowers. There is no cure; remove affected plants to prevent spread to healthy bulbs.

Declining flowering ("daffodil blindness") After a few years a daffodil may produce only leaves and no flowers. Common causes include cutting back or mowing the foliage too early (so the bulb cannot build up enough reserves), soil that is too dry or poor, and overcrowded clumps of bulbs that need dividing every few years.

FLOWERING

Season Daffodils flower in early spring. The earliest varieties, such as 'February Gold', can flower as early as February; most bloom from March to April, and late varieties such as Narcissus poeticus 'Recurvus' continue flowering into May. By combining varieties with different flowering times, you can enjoy daffodils for months.

Cutting Daffodils make excellent cut flowers. Cut the stems at an angle and stand them alone in a vase of water for a few hours to a day first, since the stems release a sticky sap that is harmful to other flowers. Only once this sap stops being released can the daffodils be combined with other cut flowers in a vase. Change the water regularly.

AFTER FLOWERING

Care Cut off the spent flower, but leave the foliage in place until it has completely withered and turned yellow; the plant uses the leaves to recharge the bulb for next season. The bulbs can simply stay in the ground, as daffodils behave like perennials and return year after year. Give extra water during dry weather while flowering and shortly afterwards. After a few years, flowering may decline as the bulbs multiply and become overcrowded; once the foliage has died back, lift them, separate the young offset bulbs from the parent bulb, and replant them spaced further apart.