Narcissus AKA Daffodil - What's Blooming at Studio Sprig

Almost everyone is familiar with the common Daffodil, whose scientific name is Narcissus. These flowers seem to pop up everywhere in early spring. They’ve become a very popular bulb to plant in autumn and I always look forward to seeing them on cold, chilly, April mornings at Windy Hill in Pennsylvania.

what’s interesting about this common flower?

You may not know that the name Narcissus comes from a Greek myth about a handsome youth who fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. He was so obsessed with his reflection that he tried to grab it and fell to his death. When Daffodils sprung up on that site, they were named Narcissus in remembrance of the boy. Fun stuff.

So diverse

Narcissus is a diverse genus with over 50 species of flowering plants, including daffodils, jonquils, and paperwhites. They are a bulbous, perennial plant which means you’ll see them year after year. They also naturalize very well, meaning they will spread around to other areas of your garden if you want them to. I always leave my daffodil bulbs in the ground and each year I see more and more. Here are a few varieties growing on our farm.

Did you know?

Historical texts and archaeological digs reveal that daffodils were cultivated by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who believed that the sap from daffodil bulbs contained healing powers. This belief carried into medieval Europe, where daffodils were used in various remedies. As interesting as that is, they are also very toxic.

Toxicity

All parts of the narcissus plant are toxic if ingested, especially the bulb. They can cause skin irritation, nausea, vomiting, and even death in extreme cases. Keep them away from children and pets. Likewise, when placing stems in water, it’s best to separate daffodils from other cut flowers, as they could poison the vase.

On The Bright Side

Daffodils are the official 10th wedding anniversary flower and it is also the national flower of Wales. You can read more about that here. I have included some Narcissus links for your convenience. If you are not already growing some, please give them a try. Thanks for visiting, come again. - Kim

Yellow Dutch Master Daffodil Bulbs

Ziva Paperwhites

Jersey Lace Narcissus Bulbs

Glory-of-the-Snow - What's Blooming at Studio Sprig

Glory-of-the-Snow

This tiny purple flower named Chionodoxa, more commonly known as Glory-of-the-Snow, is popping up in two of our flowerbeds here at Windy Hill. Hundreds of them spring up every year from hardy, little bulbs planted by the farm’s previous owner many years ago.

Interesting Features

The name, Chionodoxa, comes from two ancient Greek words, chion meaning snow, and doxa meaning glory.

The Glory-of-the-Snow flowers are only about an inch wide and very low to the ground, each reaching less than 4” in height. They have 6 star-shaped petals and the anthers of the stamens are yellow, with pale yellow pollen. Look closely because the stamens have flattened stalks or filaments, which resemble a cup in the center of the flower.

Chionodoxa Colors

Glory-of-the-Snow bulbs are available in blue, pink, and white shades and create a beautiful carpet in very early Spring. Ours bloomed the last week of March this year in Pennsylvania.

Click here for the pink bulbs

Click here for the blue bulbs

Click here for the white bulbs

How To Grow

The Glory-of-the-Snow bulbs prefer to be planted in fall about 3” deep and 2-3” apart. Place them in the ground with their pointy ends up. They enjoy ample sunlight and well-drained soil and look spectacular covering hillsides or sweeping drifts. They are hardy nearly everywhere from Zone 3 to Zone 9 and they naturalize very well for your enjoyment year after year.

Give some a try if you don’t see them in your yard already. I’ve provided links just under the color photos for your convenience. And please comment below if you grow these already and love them as much as I do. Thank you.