Narcissus : Flower Facts

Meaning

Affection returned, sympathy, desire, love me

Origins

Flowers are extremely fragrant. Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested. All daffodils are narcissi but not all narcissi are daffodils. Galanthine, a substance in the flowers is currently being used in medicine to treat Alzheimer's. Narcissus is the broad botanical term for the flowers most consumers would call daffodils, narcissuses and paper whites. The term daffodil is generally used to refer to single, trumpet-shaped flowers, while paper whites refers to the tiny white flowers that grow in clusters. The term narcissus typically refers to the remaining varieties. These cheery spring bulb flowers come in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes, including white, cream, yellow, orange and bicolour. They're members of the Amaryllidaceae family, and are named for Narcissus, a youth in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection and was transformed by the gods into a flower. Narcissuses are native to Europe, North America and western Asia. Today, people associate the bright, yellow daffodil as a symbol of rebirth - a sign of the new beginnings that come with spring. The daffodil is the birthday flower for March. Daffodils are said to bring good fortune to the person who avoids trampling on them.

Flower Availability and Vase Life

October to April. Seasonal availability October to April. The Isles of Scilly start the season off in October with the smaller varieties. It finishes in April with large trumpet daffodils from Scotland.

3-6 days.

Care and Handling

Cut 1/4 inch off stems and place in 70-75 F water with bulb flower preservative. Place daffodils in a separate holding container from other flowers, as they secrete a sap which shortens the vase life of other cut flowers, especially tulips. The sap will stop flowing about 6 hours after the stems are cut. Daffodils can then be safely combined with other flowers and used in mixed arrangements.

Florist Design Uses

Daffodils are attractive in bouquets by themselves or mixed spring arrangements. When placing in floral foam, wrap a thin-gauge wire continuously around the stem at the base. This gives soft-stemmed blossoms support for insertion into the foam however they do not last as long in floral foam.

Colours: Shades of yellow, white, and bi-colour with yellow or white petals and orange, apricot, or pink coronas.