Narcissus

Narcissus Stocken

A lovely little miniature wild hybrid, first found by Lt Cdr C. M. Stocken during his extensive botanising trips on the Iberian Peninsula in the 1960s. It increases and grows well, but likes a fertile soil, good drainage and a dry summer rest to reach flowering size, with minimal bulb disturbance.

When first introduced it was "precious" and standard advice was that it probably needed to be tortured in pots and repotted annually. Hence it languished in many a specialist collection, until its needs were appreciated.

Treat it nicely and it does very well, making stems to about 20-25cm and masses of its very fragrant, small, golden yellow flowers, 2-3 to a stem, in March.

The weight of suggestion is that this is a form of wilkommii and it is provisionally identified as such. I simply cannot credit the the highly unlikely nature of a suggested hybrid parentage that I have seen at one place on the Internet.

Narcissus Stockennarstosto	£1.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Flowering sized bulbs. Large view

Narcissus taitii

A hybrid between pseudonarcissus and triandrus known in the wild and described many years ago by Henriques.

Lovely pale yellow trumpets with sideways facing, far paler petals, the flowers intermediate in size between the parents though they are still miniatures.

Very lovely and easily grown. Some forms of 'Queen of Spain' are said to derive from this cross.

Narcissus taitiinartaitii	£5.50
Large view

Narcissus tazetta

Propagated from a true wild form, this has broad, glaucous foliage with a very slight twist to it, sitting below stout stems which can carry up to 6 flowers each, early in the year.

The flowers have short, broad, reflexing, white petals and make a stunning contrast with the shallow, bright orange-yellow cup. The whole is strongly and pleasantly fragrant with an almost overpowering scent, but one which is different and sweeter, than the more widely grown paper-white forms and hybrids.

Well-drained spot in full sun, a south-facing and sheltered site is even better. Loam soil with good drainage, dry in summer.

Narcissus tazettanartaztaz	£6.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Cultivated, propagated, very few only. Large view

Narcissus watieri

This is an almost legendary species from the Atlas Mts. Pristine white, shallow-cupped stars in March-April.

Despite its African home this is a snow-melt species and it does not enjoy hot, dry conditions. Good in a pot and excellent for showing as it blooms with spring shows. Happy here in a raised, uncovered, bulb frame.

Narcissus watierinarwatwat	£3.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view

Narcissus Xit

This is, in effect, a larger version of N. watieri, twice the size of that dwarf species which is one of its parents. There is virtually no trace of the second parent in its make-up other than a slight yellow infusion at the base of the cup. It is still a miniature however and several bulbs can fit into a 10-12cm pot.

Unlike watieri it has a constitution well suited to garden use.

This is very lovely - which is praise indeed coming from one who normally dislikes hybrid daffodils! Sharply drained sunny spot in the garden, or potted.

Narcissus Xit narxitxit	£4.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Large view