For me, daffodils are one of the first magically appearing reminders of spring. Their perky appearance and bright colors provide a confirmation that spring is almost here. Before forsythia and tulips, daffodils are the “Get set, get ready, GO!” for area gardeners.
The daffodil can be considered the ideal perennial flower. In almost every area of the United States and Southern Canada, the daffodil thrives and returns year after year. It tolerates almost any soil with adequate drainage and is drought tolerant except in spring. It is pest free, simple to grow and has few nutritional requirements. Daffodils are an excellent companion planting to perennials, annuals, ground covers, shrubs and trees.
Not everyone refers to these flowers by the same name, however and often the terms have been confused.

In the south, daffodils are often referred to as Jonquils. Native to southern France and Spain, early settlers planted jonquilla bulbs that became naturalized over wide areas of the American south. When hybrid daffodils began appearing, people mistakenly called them “Jonquils” as well. Jonquils and daffodils are both divisions of the same plant family.
Narcissus is the Latin botanical name for the whole genus of these bulbous plants of the Amaryllis family. This name refers to the narcotic or alkaloid quality of the bulbs which, when ingested, produce a quick stupor and death. Roman legends tell of warriors carrying the bulbs into battle; if mortally wounded, they could eat one and drift off to the land of the gods. However, the bulbs are extremely distasteful and cause great discomfort in the mouth. For this reason, you need not worry about a child being accidentally poisoned by ingesting a harmful amount.

The poisonous character of Narcissus gives the gardener an advantage. The alkaloid acts as a strong repellant to pests; as a result daffodils have almost no insect predators. The alkaloid is also being researched and developed by pharmaceutical companies as a possible component in drugs for Alzheimer’s and other diseases.Narcissus originated in Europe along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea but they have been found in China and Asian countries for hundreds of years. The daffodil industry originated in the earliest days of trading between the West and the East.

Great Britain has always been the world leader in creation of hybrid species and in the overall production of Narcissus bulbs. There are more than 25,000 different daffodil cultivars and the majority have been developed in the British Isles. Although the Dutch have been associated with bulbs since the 17th century and produce an enormous percentage of the world’s bulb crop, they are second in the production of daffodils. The Dutch are involved in the distribution of English bulbs, however, and daffodils at many garden centers are English bulbs distributed through Dutch networks.

The United States is third in daffodil production with most of the production centered in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. These bulbs are grown mostly for cut flower production rather than bulb production in bulk for resale. Early in this century, Virginia was one of the largest cut flower producers, with a “Daffodil Capital” of over a thousand acres devoted to daffodil production.

Although we will soon be enjoying their colorful blooms, the best time to plant daffodils is in the fall about the time of the first frost. If you haven’t planted yet and the bulbs are still firm, they can be planted as late as February or March. These late planted bulbs will bloom later and have shorter stems, but will catch up in a year or two.

In the wild, Narcissus prefer sloping hillsides where drainage is excellent. These mountainous areas receive a lot of rain during the bulbs growing season, but are dry when the bulb is dormant. Since daffodil hybrids have these characteristics from the species Narcissus, the bulbs perform better in elevated areas. Since few of us live on hillsides, we can create small hills or raised beds. If your soil has a lot of clay , it is especially important to raise the bed level.

Daffodils prefer full sun but will tolerate some shade, either as filtered light or long hours of morning or afternoon sun. If you are thinking of a daffodil garden under a shade tree, consider when the tree leafs out and the amount of light that filters through. There should be at least a half day of sunshine available.

The ideal soil is a sandy loam with plenty of well composted organic material. The bulbs should be planted 6 to 8 inches deep, so don’t skimp on soil amendment. If your soil consists of clay or drains poorly, amending it with well decomposed compost and builder’s sand will make all the difference in the world.

Start with a small bed for your daffodils and expand it as you learn about new varieities. Try to locate your flower bed where you will walk by it each day and where others can enjoy the blooms too. Since the blooms only last a few weeks, they should be appreciated by as many as possible.

Robin Milliken is a Landscape Specialist and Master Gardener.
The Master Gardener appears monthly in The Olathe Daily News.

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