SPRING

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Narcissi, Daffodils, Jonquils and Paperwhites are all names used interchangeably to refer to the bold, bright and beautiful yellow / white bulb flowers waving joyfully to tell us Spring is on its way.

They bloom between January and May* (in the UK) and have yellow, white, apricot / pink or peach / orange outer petals (the perianth) with yellow, white, red, pink or orange cups (the corona). They produce flowers ranging in height from 10cm to 80cm and are pollinated by bees, butterflies, flies and moths.  

In scientific terms, the word Narcissus refers to a genus of bulb plants which are a subgenus of the Amaryllidaceae family. This genus includes daffodils, jonquils, and paperwhites as well as 100s of species and 1000s of cultivars. In popular terms, the word Daffodil refers to the classic garden style 'trumpet', 'large cupped' or 'large petalled ' flowers, Narcissi to the 'small cupped', 'small flowered' and 'small petalled' varieties and Jonquils and Paperwhites to   multiheaded, rounder blooms with a very strong scent.

Narcissus are very long lived and reproduce by division, constantly cloning themselves to form ever expanding groups of clumps. They do well in most gardens, liking a variety of soil conditions, tolerating varied light levels and requiring only a short period of cold, after their summer dormancy, before they bloom. Of almost 30,000 cultivars only one, the Lent Lily, is a true UK native, with general agreement that most others originated in the Western Meditterranean.

As well as the wonderfully satisfying 'Daf', there are many local names for these  flowers including; Afodilly, Dafodilly, Daffodowndily, Butter and Eggs, Cuckoo Rose, Easter Lily, Giggary, Golden Trumpets, Goosflop, Gracie Daisies, Hen & Chickens, Lady's Ruffles & Lent Cocks. Some believe Daffodil is derived from Asphodel Lillies, a derivation of the Latin 'asphodilus', and Narcissus from the Ancient Greek 'narcao' (to become numb, a reference to the plant's toxic medicinal qualities). 

Whatever the origin, Daffodils and Narcissi feature heavily in Myth and Art. The Furies (vengeful spirits of the Greek Underworld) wore crowns and garlands of Narcissi, cut from the meadows of Persephone, Queen of Hell, to entrance then stupify their victims. The Asphodel Meadows were where ordinary souls were sent to live after death and Narcissi, deemed the flower of deceit, were used by Pluto, God of the Underworld, to lure the lovely Prosperine into his lair and ultimately to her death. 

And of course, many are familiar with the Ancient Greek myth of Narcissi, the young shepherd highly desired by the meadow nymphs, including the doomed Echo, who loved him much more than the others but could not convey this because she was only able to repeat his last words. Tired of trying to express her love, Echo became sick and eventually disappeared into nothing but a spirit eternally whispering words of longing. Thinking Narcissi should be punished, Venus, Goddess of Love, put a spell on Narcissi whereby he would fall in love with the next person he saw, which was himself, as a reflection as he bent into a river to take a drink thus condemning him to a lifetime of unrequited longing too, constantly searching for his love, the face he had seen in the reflection, and eventually turning into a paper white flower which would grow forever in memory of his egotism.

In Art, William Wordsworth was not the only writer to eschew the qualities of daffodils when he wandered lonely as a cloud. William (Shakespeare) refers to Daffodils in The Winter's Tale as the flower 'that come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty' The Winter's Tale' (1610-1) act 4, sc. 3, l. 116.  In the Victorian Language of Flowers daffodils symbolise unrequited love and egotism and, if given to a home, they were thought to predict domestic doom or disagreement. 

One of Vincent Van Gogh's last paintings, 'Undergrowth with two Figures', depicts what is widely believed to be a sous-bois of yellow and white Narcissi and Salvadore Dali famously depicted the Greek myth  in the painting "Metamorphosis of Narcissus'. After 9/11, over a million donated Narcissus bulbs were given to New York City, and planted in every borough as symbols of remembrance and many Cancer charities have adopted the sunny yellow Daffodil as their emblem of hope. 

However, some cultures still believe Narcissus to be unlucky flowers, their downward facing heads implying forthcoming misfortune and bringing with them great sadness or even a portent of death. Varieties such as the all-white Thalia are commonly used as tomb or grave flowers and are deemed deeply unlucky to have indoors. Perhaps for good reason as Daffodils do have have a strong narcotic effect. As well as leaking toxic sap which can cause allergic reactions and can slowly kill off plants and blooms that surround them (this is why florists will advise you not to mix Dafs with other flowers) Narcissi contain lycorine which ispoisonous to humans and animals. 

Despite their toxicity, large clumps of Daffodils are often an indication of a previous monastic home, where they were commonly used for their medicinal qualities.  They are said to have 'hot, dry' qualities and have been used in traditional herbal medicine in poultices to draw out infections,  as a decongestant and analgesic, in the treatment of uterine ulcers, MS, Alzheimers, cancers and respiratory disorders, as an aphrodisiac, contraceptive and baldness treatment. None of this is advisable as Narcissi are HIGHLY TOXIC and, when the bulbs are mistaken for onions, have led to numerous cases of sickness and accidental death.

MORE ABOUT NARCISSUS

• The Prince of Wales is still paid one daffodil each year by the local Environmental Trust as rent for the untenanted lands of Scilly, the current centre of daffodil growing in the UK.

• The WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre) currently lists 3 species of narcissi as endangered and the IUCN Red List can be found here https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?taxonomies=128191&searchType=species

• Details about specific varieties of Daffodils and Narcissi can be found at https://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/daffodilregister/daffsearch.asp 

• Learn about daffodil divisions https://www.learningwithexperts.com/gardening/blog/episode-10-daffodils-with-dr-noel-kingsbury

• Daf botany / dissect a daf https://daffodilusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Innersecretsrrevealed.pdf

*varieties such as Narcissus elegans and Narcissus viridiflorus are Autumn flowering.