Scientific: Narcissus species (wild type scientific name is Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
Common: daffodil, trumpet narcissus
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Origin: Wordlwide distribution, most concentrated in Europe.
Pronounciation: Nar-CIS-sus SPEE-shes
Hardiness zones
Sunset All zones
USDA All zones
Landscape Use: Sensory gardens, winter and early spring floral accent, border edging, flood irrigated, mesic landscape design themes, novelty pot plant, fresh cut flowers.
Form & Character: High impact novelty plant, loosely upright, basally clumping and spreading to form 'colonies', sensual, delicate, lovely.
Growth Habit: In Phoenix, deciduous during late summer and fall, herbaceous, geophytic bulbous perennial, moderate growth rate to 8- to 18-inches tall, spreading via a basal clumping habit.
Foliage/Texture: Elongated, linear, glaucous green, thickened, flattened leaves emerge during early winter; medium fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Flowers on elongate stalks, white, yellow, organ or pink with a 6 petal-like tepals and a projecting trumpet bell-shaped yellow corona, fragrant; fruits inconspicuous.
Seasonal Color: Flowers during late winter and early spring.
Temperature In Phoenix, thrives during winter and early spring, but struggles once temperatures regularly exceed 90oF and typically goes dormant during summer and fall. Nearly impossible to keep evergreen outdoors throughout the summer - it just gets TOO hot here folks!
Light: Partial shade to mostly full winter sun.
Soil: Tolerant of most soil types, but does best in an amended, organically-rich, light, evenly moist, well-drained, rock and debris free soil.
Watering: Regular irrigations are needed during time of biological activity (typically October to April).
Pruning: None
Propagation: Division of bulbous clumps, seed.
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: The genus Narcissus contains about 40 species of bulbous, often fragrant, plants. As a horticultrural crop, daffodils have been intensively bred to generate a myriad of interspecific hybrids and cultivated varieties. Their performance in Phoenix is enhanced by a flood-irrigated and vegetated microclimate, which is more commonly seen across the metropolitan area in older neighborhood communities where these landscape types predominate.
Taxonomic musings: Narcissus is a plant whose name is steeped in ancient mythology.
