They naturalize easily and can be seen in meadows, old homesteads, road sides, woodlands and on river banks. Patches may last for decades or more. All daffodils grow from a brown-skinned, roundish bulb. The flower has a leafless stem. The leaves grow at the base of the stem and are long and strap shaped.
Each daffodil flower is characterized by a central cup-shaped structure called a corona, surrounded by six petals. Daffodils are in the same family as the amaryllis.
Daffodil flowers are most commonly yellow or white. Some have orange accents. Some are bicolored. Some are scented. They have the same downwards facing coronas and reflexed perianth.
Finally, we get to the jonquils. Jonquils usually have one to five flowers per stem and short coronas. Look at where they are joined to the stem. It is almost a ninety degree angle from the stem to the flower.
Tazetta daffodils are often forced indoors to provide color and scent during the winter. If you have ever forced bulbs indoors, then you are familiar with Tazetta daffodils. The most common variety used in forcing are called Paperwhite Narcissus. They have multiple flowers per stem, anywhere from three to twenty and they are very, very fragrant. The one and only time that I forced daffodils in my home, the scent was over-powering in the tiny apartment where I lived.
Bulbocodium daffodils are tiny, well-suited to rock gardens. These are very tiny plants, only 6 to 8 inches tall.
The leaves look like grass. The flowers are also unusual. Instead of being shaped like a trumpet, the coronas are flared. The perianth are just almost non-existent, just a few spike-y petals. Split Corona daffodils looked better in the catalog than in my garden!
To me, they look like the flowers have exploded. I prefer the double-flowered over the split coronas. Tete-a-Tete, a miniature daffodil. This is another one that would be suitable for a rock garden.
I hope that this very brief overview of the large family of daffodils will be helpful to you when choosing which ones to plant in your spring garden. Try a few of the unusual ones and see how you like them.
If you are like me and forget over the winter what you have planted, you will find exciting surprises as spring progresses. Only the deer will be disappointed. Answer: Paperwhites are considered Tazettas. Tazettas have multiple flowers per stem, and are very fragrant. Cups on these have segments that are separate, rather than linked together. More familiar trumpet daffodils generally produce yellow or white flowers or a combination of the two. Bicolors include "Bravoure," "Las Vegas" and "Topolino.
Daffodils grow from a true bulb. At the nursery, look for the largest and most solid bulbs you can find, and plant them twice as deep into the earth as they are tall. They grow best in full sun, and the flowers usually come up facing the sun. Tolerant of most soil types, daffodils only require that it be well-draining and not too alkaline.
In many regions, the perennials do not need water beyond the precipitation that falls. Daffodils bloom for six weeks to six months, depending on the cultivar and your climate. After flowering ceases, the plant stays green while the bulb rebuilds itself and expands for the next year. Only when the leaves begin to turn yellow can you safely cut the foliage back.
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