Did you know that narcissus bulbs were introduced to North America by pioneer women who made the long ocean voyage from Europe to America to build a new future? Given limited space for bringing personal goods, they sewed dormant daffodil bulbs into the hems of their skirts to plant at their new homes to remind them of the gardens they left behind. The remnant ancestors of those bulbs still persist today in older gardens in the eastern half of the US, making them a part of our heritage for over 300 years!
The official botanical genus name for daffodils is narcissus, which comes from the Greek word ‘Narkissos’ and its base word ‘Narke’, meaning sleep or numbness, attributed to the sedative effect from the alkaloids in its plants. The plant family is Amaryllidaceae, meaning all members are poisonous, which is great for gardeners because that makes them critter proof. Daffodil is actually just a nickname, not a scientific or Latin name.
National Garden Bureau is proud to present the Year of the Daffodil in partnership with the American Daffodil Society.
To read about the many types and varieties of Daffodils, and how to care for them in the garden, click here.
To read an in-depth culture guide from Brent & Becky's Bulbs, click here.