Plant of the Month: March

Name: Narcissus bulbocodium Common name: hoop-petticoat daffodil Family: Amaryllidaceae Vital statistics Height and spread: 10-15cm (4-6in) high Form: Bulb Soil: Seasonally damp acid soil Aspect: Full sun Hardiness: Fully hardy

Narcissus bulbocodium is naturalised on the Alpine Meadow and flowering specimens can also be seen during February and March in the Alpine House, where their delicate flowers can be protected from the inclement weather. Many other Narcissus species can also be seen in the Alpine House, and there are over a thousand different daffodils growing throughout the gardens.

Narcissus

There are about 50 species of Narcissus found in a variety of habitats in Europe and North Africa from sea level to subalpine meadows, woodlands and rocky places, with Spain hosting the greatest variety.

Due to their popularity as cultivated plants many thousands of cultivars have been bred by growers around the world. All of these are grown for their attractive flowers, borne in spring, or less fequently autumn or winter. The flowers are mostly yellow or white but can occasionally be green in some species. Some have brightly coloured coronas (the distinctive cup or trumpet) which may be red, orange or pink.

Narcissus is a classical Greek name in honour of a beautiful youth who became so entranced with his own reflection that he pined away and the gods turned him into this flower. Although the name daffodil is often applied only to the larger trumpet-flowered cultivars, with the short-cupped and multi-headed cultivars referred to as narcissi, breeders and other enthusiasts refer to all kinds as daffodils.

Daffodils were introduced into gardens at a very early stage in the history of man. The Greek Theophrastus listed and described many of the earliest known kinds in about 300 BC, though it was not until the 19th century that classification of the many species was attempted. One notable point in history is 1884 when the first daffodil conference of the Royal Horticultural Society was held and its Narcissus and Tulip Committee was formed (now called the Daffodil and Tulip Committee).

The RHS is currently the International Cultivar Registration Authority for Narcissus cultivar names, playing a vital role in promoting uniformity, accuracy and stability in the naming of Narcissus.

Narcissus bulbocodium

Commonly called the hoop-petticoat daffodil, along with several other species, Narcissus bulbocodium is native to Western France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and is by far the most common and widespread of the hoop-petticoat daffodils.

It grows in a variety of situations from near sea-level in France and Portugal to over 3,000m in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It prefers an acid soil which retains plenty of moisture in the spring growing season.

It has narrow, dark green leaves between 10-40cm (4-16in) long and bears funnel-shaped deep yellow flowers 3.5cm ((11/2in) across, with expanded trumpets. Several localised subspecies and varieties exist in which the flower colour varies from pale yellow with green markings to deep primrose yellow.

AGM

The RHS Daffodil and Tulip Committee awarded Narcissus bulbocodium an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: 'Dwarf bulbous perennial to 15cm tall, with slender, dark green leaves and golden-yellow flowers with large, funnel-shaped trumpets and very narrow perianth segments.'

Cultivation

Narcissus can be grown either in a pot, as a magnificent specimen plant, or naturalised in grassland.

In grass the best effect is when the bulbs are planted in great quantity and arranged in drifts devoted to the same species. Narcissus bulbocodium is well suited to being naturalised in short, damp grass that dries out in summer. Advice on bulb planting can be found by clicking here.

As a short-growing bulb, Narcissus bulbocodium is appropriate for pots and containers and can be mixed with other early-flowering bulbs for an attractive display with successional interest. The bulbs should be planted at twice their depth ensuring that each bulb has 2.5cm (1in) of a good, acid, moist compost beneath it. No watering is needed until the compost is almost dry and should be resumed once root growth starts.

Narcissus are relatively untroubled by pests and diseases, though large narcissus bulb fly, narcissus eelworm and fungal infections such as narcissus basal rot can all cause damage.

Propagation

Unlike many bulbs, Narcissus bulbocodium increases itself naturally by seeding rather than division. However propagation by twin scaling is popular with nurseries as large numbers of flowering-size plants can be raised quickly.

More information

International Registration of Cultivated Plant Names