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Narcissus
Name: All daffodils
are Narcissus, which is the genus name. According to the International Cultivar
Registration Authority (for Narcissus and for several other flowers that is the
UK's Royal Horticultural Society) daffodil is accepted as a common name for all
members of the Narcissus genus. However, most people think of daffodils as the
single flower, large trumpet yellow ones, which are the most common kind of daffodils,
and call the smaller headed scented varieties, narcissi. The Oxford Dictionary
defines narcissus (plural narcissi) as "any of a group of flowers including
jonquils and daffodils, especially the kind with heavily-scented single white
flowers". In fact, even the growers of the scented varieties (www.scentednarcissi.co.uk)
call all of their products white or yellow, single or multi-headed, "narcissi".The
flower is named after Narcissus in Greek legend (see Trivia below). "Narcissus"
comes from the Greek for "numbness" referring to the narcotic properties
of the plant. Origin: South Western Europe.
Grown extensively in the UK - we export daffodils to Holland. First cultivated
by the Romans. Colour: Over 25,000 varieties
in shades of yellow, white, orange and peachy pink. Availability:
Seasonal availability October to April. The Isles of Scilly start the season off
in October with the tiny tazetta types. It finishes in April with large trumpet
daffodils from Scotland. Varieties: There is
a huge number of cultivars, in a range of colours including combinations of white,
yellows, oranges and pinks. There are multi-headed tazetta types and some with
a strong fragrance. Yellow tazetta narcissi "Soleil d'Or'"and white
"Ziva" have the strongest scent, and also make ideal indoor plants as
potted bulbs Care Tips: Daffodils and narcissi
have sap which is toxic to other flowers. Display separately, leave in water on
their own for at least 12 hours before mixing with other flowers and do not recut
the stems. Or use specially formulated cut flower food for mixing daffodils with
other flowers. If kept cool they will last about 1 week. Trivia:
Facts: Narcissi are mainly cultivated in the Channel Isles, the Isles of
Scilly, Great Britain and Holland. The daffodil is the emblem of Wales and is
worn on St David's Day. Poultry keepers thought the flower unlucky and would not
allow it in the home as they believed it would stop their hens laying eggs or
the eggs hatching. Prince Charles is paid one daffodil annually as rent for the
unattended lands of Scilly. The local Environmental Trust is reponsible for the
payment. The daffodil is used by Marie
Curie Cancer Care to raise money on National Daffodil Day. They believe it
symbolises new hope and life. Mythology: Narcissus
in Greek legend fell in love with his own reflection in a stream. He stayed transfixed
by the stream and the gods thought he would die of starvation so they changed
him into the flower to stay there forever. Zodiac:
They are good flowers for Geminis, who like the daffodil's yellow cheerfulness;
and Pisces who appreciate the white narcissi's scented delicacy.
Feng Shui:Feng Shui adherents believe the
flower brings good luck for the next twelve months if forced to bloom at New Year.
Language of Flowers:
In Victorian times daffodils signified regard, while narcissi meant self-esteem
or even vanity. Medicinal:
Daffodils are being grown for Galanthine, a substance in the bulbs being
used to fight Alzheimer's. The Isles of Scilly
growers behind www.scentednarcissi.co.uk
handpick scented narcissi to order and dispatch them direct to your door in midnight
blue presentation boxes. Visit www.scentednarcissi.co.uk
for more information.
Churchtown
Farm (www.scillyflowers.co.uk) in the Isles of Scilly spesialises in scented
narcissi and pinks. Their prices include postage costs.
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