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Bulb or tuber · Amaryllidaceae
Poet's narcissus
Narcissus poeticus
In other languages: Dichtersnarcis (Nederlands) · Narcisse des poètes (Français)
The poet’s narcissus comes from the mountain meadows of southern and central Europe, from the Pyrenees and the Alps to the Balkans. It flowers late, at the end of April and in May, when most daffodils have finished. Each stem, about 40 cm tall, carries a single pure white flower with a small, flat cup that is yellow with a red rim and a green centre. The flowers are strongly and sweetly scented. A well-known form is var. recurvus, with slightly swept-back petals, which flowers a little later still. Gardeners love it for its scent, as a cut flower and for naturalising in grass that stays moist in spring.
Caution: All parts are poisonous, especially the bulb, which can be mistaken for an onion. Keep children, dogs, cats and grazing animals away from the bulbs and leaves. The sap from the stems can irritate the skin: wear gloves if you pick lots of flowers or plant bulbs.
Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
neutral to chalky
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -25 °C
Size
0.4 m
tall, 0.1 m wide
Flowering
April–May
| Height | 0.4 m |
|---|---|
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Flowering | April–May |
Identify
Poet's narcissus: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- A bulb 35–45 cm tall with a clump of narrow leaves.
- Leaves
- Narrow, strap-shaped and grey-green, about as tall as the flowers; they die back in June.
- Flowers
- One flower per stem, 5–7 cm across, with six white petals and a small, flat cup.
- Colour
- Pure white; the cup is yellow with a red rim and a green centre.
- Scent
- Strong, sweet and spicy; a little heavy for some people in a small room.
- Bulb
- Medium-sized, with a brown tunic; it makes new roots as early as late summer and does not tolerate drying out.
Flowering: April–May · Plants: August–October
In your garden
Why grow it?
- One of the last narcissi: it stretches the daffodil season into May.
- A strong, sweet scent, in the garden and in the vase.
- An elegant, restrained flower: white with a small, red-rimmed cup.
- Naturalises in moist grass and comes back year after year.
- Mice and voles usually leave the poisonous bulbs alone.
Poet's narcissus: where does it grow best?
- Sun or partial shade; under deciduous trees it gets enough light in spring.
- Sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
- Normal to moist: it likes more moisture than most daffodils, but not standing water in winter.
- Ideal in a wildflower meadow or a lawn that is mown late.
- Plant 10–15 cm apart, in loose groups; in grass, scatter the bulbs and plant them where they fall.
- Light
- Sun and partial shade
- Soil type
- Sand, loam or clay
- Acidity
- Neutral or chalky
- Moisture
- Normal or wet
- Size
- 0.4 m tall, 0.1 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -25 °C)
Goes well with
- Snake’s head fritillary: Flowers in April in the same moist grass, with chequered purple bells.
- Camassia: Blue flower spikes in May, also suited to moist grass.
- Cuckooflower: Lilac flowers in a damp wildflower meadow, at the same time as the narcissus.
- Forget-me-not: A blue haze around the white flowers in the border.
- Tulips: Late tulips flower at the same time in the border.
Maintenance
Poet's narcissus: when and how to plant it?
Plant in August–October.
- Plant as early as August–September, October at the latest: the bulb makes new roots early.
- Dig a hole 10–15 cm deep, about three times the height of the bulb.
- Set the bulbs pointed end up, 10–15 cm apart.
- In grass: take out a plug of turf with a bulb planter, put in the bulb and replace the turf.
- Firm the soil and water if it is dry.
- Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin.
Care
- Watering
- Rarely needed. Only after planting and in a very dry spring.
- Feeding
- In a border, a little compost or high-potash fertiliser after flowering. Do not feed in a wildflower meadow.
- Leaves
- Leave the leaves for at least six weeks after flowering, or until they turn yellow.
- Mowing
- Only mow grass with narcissi once the leaves have died back, usually from late June.
- Spent flowers
- Snap off faded flowers so the bulb does not put energy into seed; in a wild meadow they can stay.
- Cut flower
- Pick them when the bud is just opening. Stand them on their own in water for a day before mixing them with other flowers: the sap from the stems makes other flowers wilt sooner.
Tip: Plant as early as August–September, as it makes roots early. Only mow grass with poet’s narcissi once the leaves are yellow, usually from late June.
Poet's narcissus: when to prune it?
When: The poet’s narcissus is not pruned. You only remove faded flowers in May and dead leaves in June–July.
How:
- Snap off faded flowers just below the bloom and leave the stem.
- Leave the leaves for at least six weeks after flowering.
- Only cut or mow the leaves once they are yellow, and do not knot them.
Caution: If you mow the leaves too early, you will have plenty of leaves but few flowers the following year.
Propagation
- Division
- Every 4–5 years, in July when the leaves have died back, lift dense clumps. Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away, as they dry out quickly.
- Seed
- Possible, but it takes several years before seedlings flower. In moist grass it sometimes self-seeds.
Poet's narcissus: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −25 °C.
- Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection needed.
- It needs a cold winter to flower well.
- In a pot it can stay outdoors in a sheltered spot; make sure the compost does not become waterlogged.
Diseases and pests
- Narcissus bulb fly: The grub hollows out the bulb from inside: you see a few narrow leaves and no flowers, and the bulb feels soft. Throw away affected bulbs and firm the soil well once the leaves have died back, so the fly cannot reach the bulb so easily.
- Basal rot: The bulb turns soft and brown at the base, often after a warm summer in wet soil. Throw away soft bulbs and only plant firm, healthy ones.
- Blind bulbs: Plenty of leaves but no flowers: planted too shallow, clumps too crowded or leaves cut too early. Divide the clumps and leave the leaves longer.
- Slugs: They eat the flowers in a wet spring. Pick them off in the evening.
Through the year
- March: The leaves grow. Watch out for slugs.
- April: The first flowers. Pick for the vase.
- May: In flower. Snap off faded flowers; high-potash fertiliser in the border.
- June: Leave the leaves until they are yellow.
- July: Clear away dead leaves. Divide dense clumps; firm the soil.
- August: Plant bulbs.
- September: Plant bulbs.
- October: Plant the last bulbs.
- December: Rest.
Use
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.
You and this species
Did you know?
- It is also called ‘pheasant’s eye’, after the small red-rimmed cup that resembles a pheasant’s eye.
- It is one of the parents of many garden daffodils, including the fragrant Poetaz narcissi, crosses with Narcissus tazetta.
- In France it has long been picked for the perfume industry, because of its powerful scent.