Narcissus April 2016

[johnw]

Thursday we were in northern Nova Scotia checking out a Galanthus/Leucojum woodland and were very surprised to see seedling Narcissus about.  The foliage .7cm wide was quite refined, bluish green with a distinct corkscrew twist, all quite uniform and perhaps 10-11cm tall at this point.  As for flowering time the buds were just emerging from between the leaves and the flowering stem was only up about .5cm.  For those in the Europe I'd guess it might flower normally  about a week or two after the Leucojum vernum finish.   Presuming it is a species and not a hybrid would anyone care to take a stab at an identification?

Aside from Pheasant's Eye I can't say I've ever seen a Narcissus seedling in Nova Scotia.

Perhaps it is something else though I can't imagine what.

johnw

[Cfred72]

The festival of plants of the Enghien castle in Belgium. I brought a Narcissus bulbocodium conspicuus. Unfortunately, it is already faded, I forgot to take a picture fresh blooming flowers.

I also brought bulbocodium Narcissus 'Golden Bells'. It begins to bloom.

[Matt T]

Thursday we were in northern Nova Scotia checking out a Galanthus/Leucojum woodland and were very surprised to see seedling Narcissus about.  The foliage .7cm wide was quite refined, bluish green with a distinct corkscrew twist, all quite uniform and perhaps 10-11cm tall at this point.  As for flowering time the buds were just emerging from between the leaves and the flowering stem was only up about .5cm.  For those in the Europe I'd guess it might flower normally  about a week or two after the Leucojum vernum finish.   Presuming it is a species and not a hybrid would anyone care to take a stab at an identification?

Aside from Pheasant's Eye I can't say I've ever seen a Narcissus seedling in Nova Scotia.

Perhaps it is something else though I can't imagine what.

johnw

Hi John,

I've been mulling this puzzle over today.

The only Narcissus species I know of with distinctly corkscrew twisted leaves is N. tortifolius, but I think it is unlikely that this is your plant - it is a tazetta type and grows in a distinctly Mediterranean climate. I saw it in Spain recently growing in semi-desert conditions, so not the conditions you are likely to have there.

Is there any chance it was an Allium perhaps?

[johnw]

Hi John,

I've been mulling this puzzle over today.

The only Narcissus species I know of with distinctly corkscrew twisted leaves is N. tortifolius, but I think it is unlikely that this is your plant - it is a tazetta type and grows in a distinctly Mediterranean climate. I saw it in Spain recently growing in semi-desert conditions, so not the conditions you are likely to have there.

Is there any chance it was an Allium perhaps?

When friend first pointed them out he said Allium? and I asked if there was foliage scent, he said no foliage scent.  Certainly not a med climate up there so may you well be correct.  Will flower in short order and I'll photograph them when they do.  In the meantime I can't say I know the range Allium leaf types well enough to even begin and all I can say is that the flower buds looked like Galanthus buds as they emerge but one could almost see through them suggesting a white flower in there.

Thanks,  john

[Anthony Darby]

The festival of plants of the Enghien castle in Belgium. I brought a Narcissus bulbocodium conspicuus. Unfortunately, it is already faded, I forgot to take a picture fresh blooming flowers.
(Attachment Link)
I also brought bulbocodium Narcissus 'Golden Bells'. It begins to bloom.
(Attachment Link)

Did you buy them or bring them to the show John?

[Cfred72]

Did you buy them or bring them to the show John?

I have buy them.

[Anthony Darby]

I bought some bulbocodium at a garden centre. Dry bulbs, that are a hit or a miss, as they are imported from Europe, so are six months out of date! Last year I didn't bother as every packet I checked in three garden centres had no viable bulbs in them. They were all as dry as a crisp.

[Philip Walker]

N. 'Solveig's Song'

[johnralphcarpenter]

This Narcissus nobilis var. leonensis a.k.a.Narcissus pseudonarcissus subsp. leonensis has been raided by a bee.

Narcissus nevadensis, two flowers on one scape

[Alan_b]

Is there a guide to old daffodils?  I was quite taken by this one when visiting an Open Garden last weekend but I would not know where to begin in identifying it.

[Matt T]

Try the website of Croft 16. The Donalds specialise in heritage daffs.

[Tristan_He]

Some of the triandrus hybrids are looking nice now





'Petrel'



'Thalia'

[Tristan_He]

More narcissi in the garden, generally shamefully neglected I'm afraid to say.



N. moschatus. These need dividing, though as they are entangled in tree roots this won't be easy.



I've lost the label of this cyclamineus hybrid, but it just keeps getting better!



'Peeping Tom' under a plum tree.

[Tristan_He]

'Jetfire'. This one never does well for me in the border, but in this overgrown spot it actually seems to be increasing. It is supposed to be very prone to narcissus fly - perhaps they can't get at it under all that grass?



N. nevadensis.



'Humming Bird'. Only planted last year, so hardly an impressive display yet!

[Matt T]

Hi Tristan, I'm afraid to say your N. nevadensis don't look quite like those I saw in Spain recently. In N. nevadensis the corona does not have a flared rim, which I think I can see in your plants. Do you have a better photo of the flowers?