Campernelle jonquil

Campernelle jonquil: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Bulb about 30 cm tall and 10 cm wide, growing in small clumps.

Leaves

Narrow, dark green, almost round with a groove; they appear early in spring.

Flower

Two to four yellow flowers per stem with a wide, shallow trumpet, in March–April.

Scent

Sweet and fresh, especially on a sunny day and in a vase.

Bulb

Medium-sized bulb with a brown skin; offsets form slowly, so the clump gradually gets bigger.

Flowering: March–April · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• Flowers in March and April, when the garden is still almost empty: a warm yellow after winter.
• The flowers have a soft, sweet scent and look lovely in a small vase.
• Returns every year and slowly forms a larger clump without becoming a nuisance.
• Naturalises well in grass, under deciduous trees and along shrubs.
• Rabbits and deer usually leave daffodils alone.

Campernelle jonquil: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade; also under deciduous trees, which let light through in spring.
• Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Moist in spring, preferably drier in summer: the bulb rots in cold, wet soil.
• Plant in groups of at least 5–10 bulbs, 8–10 cm apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.1 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Primrose: Flowers at the same time and adds a soft colour in grass or the border.
• Forget-me-not: A blue haze around the yellow daffodils.
• Hosta: Its emerging leaves hide the daffodil foliage in May–June.
• Lady’s mantle: Fills the gaps when the daffodil leaves die back.
• Hardy geranium: A leafy perennial that covers the spot after flowering.

Campernelle jonquil: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant from September to November, preferably in early October, before the soil gets cold.
2. Dig a wide pit or separate holes; in heavy clay, mix some coarse sand into the soil.
3. Set the bulb pointed end up, 10–15 cm deep: about three times its own height.
4. Leave 8–10 cm between bulbs. In grass, scatter them loosely and plant them where they fall for a natural look.
5. In a lawn, first lift a plug of turf, set the bulb in the hole and put the plug back.
6. Water once after planting, unless it rains.

Care

Water

Keep the soil moist while the plants are growing in spring; water in a dry April. No watering is needed in summer.

Feeding

After flowering, give a little compost or bulb fertiliser so the bulb can build up reserves for next year.

Spent flowers

Remove the faded flower together with its seed pod and leave the stem and leaves.

Leaves

Leave the leaves for at least six weeks after flowering, until they turn yellow and flop on their own. Do not plait or tie them.

Mowing in grass

Do not mow until six weeks after flowering, usually from mid-June.

Tip: Scatter the bulbs loosely over the grass and plant them where they fall: it looks more natural than rows. Do not mow until six weeks after flowering.

Campernelle jonquil: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Just remove the faded flowers and, in June, the yellowed leaves.

How:

• Cut off the faded flower with its seed pod; the stem can stay.
• Leave the leaves until they are completely yellow, about six weeks after flowering: by then the bulb has restocked its reserves.
• Only remove the yellow leaves once they come away easily.

Caution: Cutting, plaiting or tying the leaves too early reduces next year’s flowering.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Separating offsets

In June–July, when the leaves have turned yellow: lift the clump with a fork, pull off the offsets and replant them straight away. You can also wait until September.

Rejuvenating clumps

When a clump gets too crowded and flowers less, divide it after a few years and replant the bulbs further apart.

Campernelle jonquil: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian winters.
• The leaf tips sometimes appear as early as January; light frost does not harm them.
• In a pot: put the pot in a sheltered spot against a wall and wrap it in hessian or bubble wrap so the bulb does not freeze solid. Make sure the water drains away well.

Diseases and pests

• Narcissus bulb fly: The grub eats the bulb from the inside: the bulb is soft and gives no flower or only narrow leaves. Remove suspect bulbs. Firm the soil around the dying leaves so the fly cannot lay its eggs.
• Bulb rot: The bulb is soft and mouldy, especially in cold, wet soil. Provide well-drained soil and remove affected bulbs.
• No flowers: Leaves appear but no flowers. The spot is often too shady, the leaves were removed too early last year or the clump has become too crowded. Divide and replant it in autumn.
• Slugs: Holes in young leaves and flowers in spring. Collect slugs in the evening with a torch.

Through the year

• January: The first leaf tips sometimes show already.
• February: Leaves come up; frost is not a problem.
• March: Flowering begins.
• April: Full flower. Water in dry weather. Remove faded flowers.
• May: Leave the leaves. Give a little compost or bulb fertiliser.
• June: Leaves yellow: divide clumps and separate offsets. Mow the grass six weeks after flowering.
• September: Plant. Replant offsets.
• October: Best time to plant.
• November: Last chance to plant.

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 species name odorus means ‘fragrant’ in Latin.
• In a vase, daffodils release a slimy sap that can make other cut flowers wilt sooner. Stand them in water on their own for a few hours before combining them with other flowers.
• Daffodils and jonquils are close relatives: both belong to the genus Narcissus, in the amaryllis family.