Jonquil

Jonquil: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A bulb 25–30 cm tall, forming loose clumps about 10 cm wide.

Leaves

Narrow, rush-like and almost round in cross-section, dark green; appear in late winter and die back in June.

Flowers

Usually two to five flowers about 3 cm across per stem, with a short, saucer-shaped cup; in April.

Colour

Golden yellow; cultivars also lemon yellow, cream or with an orange cup.

Scent

Sweet and strong, especially on warm days and in a warm room.

Bulb

Small and round, with a brown tunic; forms offsets and after a few years a clump.

Flowering: April · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• One of the most fragrant daffodils: sweet and strong, and noticeable outdoors on a sunny day.
• Several small flowers per stem give a rich, delicate effect in a rock garden or at the front of a border.
• An excellent cut flower: a few stems in a small vase scent the whole house.
• Comes back year after year and slowly forms a clump in a warm, dry spot.
• Mice and voles usually leave daffodil bulbs alone, unlike tulips.
• Small and graceful enough for pots and containers on the patio.

Jonquil: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: a warm summer makes the bulb form flower buds for the following year.
• Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moist; in summer the soil may be dry and warm, as the bulb is then resting.
• Avoid heavy, wet soil, where the bulb rots. Improve clay with coarse sand or plant in a raised bed.
• Plant in groups of at least ten bulbs: at the front of a border, in a rock garden, along a path or in a pot.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Grape hyacinth: Flowers at the same time in April; the blue makes the golden yellow look even brighter.
• Glory-of-the-snow: Low blue stars that cover the ground around the stems.
• Catmint: Grows up in May and hides the dying foliage of the bulbs.
• Lavender: Likes the same sunny, dry spot and takes over the flowering in summer.
• Species tulips: Small tulips that last for years in the same warm, dry spot.

Jonquil: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the bulbs from September to November; the earlier you plant, the better they root.
2. Dig a hole for each bulb or a wide pit for a whole group.
3. Set the bulbs 10 cm deep, pointed end up.
4. Leave 5–10 cm between the bulbs, in loose groups.
5. On heavier soil, scatter a layer of coarse sand under the bulbs for better drainage.
6. Firm the soil and water if the ground is very dry.

Care

Watering

Usually not needed in open ground. In a pot, water in spring when the compost feels dry; keep it dry in summer.

Feeding

On poor soil, scatter a little compost or a potash-rich fertiliser in March. Too much nitrogen gives lots of leaves and few flowers.

Leaves

Leave the foliage for about six weeks after flowering until it turns yellow: this is how the bulb builds up its reserves. Do not cut or knot it.

Spent flowers

Snap them off so the plant does not waste energy on seed; leave the stem and leaves.

Cutting

Cut the stems when the buds show colour. Stand them in water on their own for a few hours first: the sap from the stems makes other flowers wilt sooner.

Tip: Plant them by the patio or the front door, where you will notice the scent best on a sunny April day. If you cut them for a mixed bouquet, stand the stems in water on their own for a few hours first.

Jonquil: when to prune it?

When: The jonquil is not pruned. You only remove the spent flowers in May and clear away the dead leaves in June.

How:

• Snip off spent flowers just below the flower head; leave the green stem in place.
• Let the leaves turn completely yellow before removing them, usually about six weeks after flowering.
• Pull away the dry leaves as soon as they come away easily.

Caution: Never cut the leaves off while they are green and never knot them: the bulb will then flower poorly or not at all the following year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets

Every three or four years, lift crowded clumps in June–July, once the leaves have died back. Separate the offsets and replant them straight away, or store them dry and airy until September.

Seed

Possible with the wild species, but slow: sow ripe seed in summer in a pot left outdoors. Seedlings take several years to flower. Cultivars do not come true from seed.

Jonquil: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: in most Belgian winters no protection is needed in open ground.
• Wet soil is a greater danger than frost: in waterlogged ground the bulbs rot.
• In a severe winter or a cold spot, cover the planting area with a layer of leaf mould or a few conifer branches.
• In a pot: stand it against a sheltered wall, wrap it in hessian in hard frost and do not keep the compost too wet.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: ‘Blind’ bulbs produce only leaves. Causes: too little sun, overcrowding or leaves cut off too early. Move them to a sunny spot and divide the clumps.
• Narcissus fly: The grub eats the bulb from the inside; only a few thin, grassy leaves appear. Throw away soft bulbs and firm the soil once the leaves have died back, so the fly cannot easily reach the bulb.
• Basal rot: The bulb turns soft and brown, often from the base, especially in warm, wet soil. Plant only firm bulbs in well-drained soil and discard affected ones.
• Virus: Yellow or pale streaks on the leaves and distorted flowers. There is no cure: remove the plant with its bulb so the virus does not spread.

Through the year

• February: The leaves appear. In pots, keep the compost slightly moist.
• March: On poor soil, scatter a little compost. The buds appear.
• April: Flowering, with a strong scent. Cut a few stems for a small vase.
• May: Remove spent flowers. Leave the foliage.
• June: The leaves turn yellow; clear them away once dry. Lift crowded clumps.
• July: Summer rest: the bulb ripens in the warm soil. Store offsets dry.
• September: Plant bulbs 10 cm deep.
• October: Ideal planting time. Replant offsets.
• November: Last planting time. Move pots to a sheltered spot.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of daffodils are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they are regularly mistaken for onions or shallots, and the leaves for leeks or wild garlic. So never store the bulbs with the vegetables in the kitchen or cellar. The sap from the stems irritates the skin and makes other flowers in a vase wilt sooner. Also poisonous to dogs and cats. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• The name ‘jonquilla’ comes from the Spanish ‘junquillo’, little rush, after the round, rush-like leaves.
• In Belgium and France, ‘jonquille’ is popularly used for all yellow daffodils, but botanically the jonquil is this small species with several fragrant flowers per stem.
• Its scent is so prized that an extract of the flowers is used in perfumery.