Daffodil (Narcissus species)
For many people, spring doesn’t truly begin until the daffodils begin to bloom. When the soil warms and the spring rains arrive, daffodil leaves emerge from bulbs typically planted the previous fall. Each flower bud is protected by a pale green, papery spathe, which curls back as the flower opens. Usually in combinations of white, yellow, orange, and pink, daffodil flowers have six tepals that surround a central trumpet or cup-shaped corona.
Daffodils are native to wild meadows and woodlands of southern Europe and Northern Africa, with the greatest diversity from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal). Grown since ancient times, daffodils hybridize easily and today there are thousands of cultivars to choose from, though the taxonomy of this genus is complicated.
The genus was named after Narcissus, a young man who, according to ancient Greek myth, was so enamoured with himself that he stared at his reflection in the water until he faded away, and the gods turned him into a flower. This myth is also the origin of the term “narcissist”.
Daffodils can be found blooming in many parts of the garden at VanDusen, including the Phyllis Bentall Garden, Laburnum Walk, Rhododendron Walk and Perennial Garden.
By Samantha Sivertz, VanDusen Plant Technician