I don’t know where you are, but here in Texas it’s H.O.T. Since last Thursday was Daffodil Day, I decided to cool off with the first flower of Spring.
The Greek Myth
The daffodil’s botanical name is narcissus and comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. Narcissus was extremely handsome and immortal, thanks to the gods. Then one day, while out hunting, a wood nymph, Echo, saw him and fell head over heels in love. When he spurned her, the devastation of his rejection destroyed her. The gods weren’t pleased, and the goddess, Nemesis, lured Narcissus to a glittering lake. There, he couldn’t resist checking out his good looks, forgetting the warning that had come with the gods’ gifts. He immediately fell in love with his reflection and, unable to tear himself free, wasted away. Where he had stood, a golden narcissus (daffodil), sprang up. The daffodil’s drooping flowers are said to represent Narcissus as he bent over the water to see his reflection.
Did You Know…
- A daffodil symbolizes rebirth and renewal in ancient Greek mythology, as well as in many other cultures around the world.
- Daffodils showed up in gardens as early as 300 BC.
- Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and botanist, recorded many of the first known kinds of narcissus in his nine-volume Enquiry into Plants.
The Spread
The first wild daffodils grew in Spain and Portugal. They spread across Europe with the help of the Roman Army. The Roman apothecaries (pharmacists) and, later, priests often stocked daffodil bulbs in their supplies. They believed the plant had medicinal properties, and so planted them in each new location the army called home. The Romans also planted daffodils to remember comrades who fell in battle, as well as other loved ones lost.
Centuries later, European settlers carried daffodil bulbs to the shores of North America. As settlers moved west, so, too, did daffodils.
Did You Know…
- The largest variety of daffodil species are found on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
- The largest grower of daffodils in the world is the United Kingdom. (They produce about half the world’s daffodils.)
- Varfell Farm in Cornwall, UK, is the world’s largest producer of daffodil bulbs.
- The modern daffodil emerged during the 1800s. Much of the credit goes to Rev. George Herbert Engleheart. From 1882-1923, he registered 720 new varieties. (Only about 30 are still available commercially.)
The Flower
The word daffodil comes from the Dutch “affo dyle,” meaning “that which cometh early.” Daffodils are usually the first flowers to bloom in Spring. True perennials, these hardy flowers grow in all types of habitats and even in periods of cold and snow.
For thousands of years, man has cultivated daffodils. Today, almost 27,000 daffodil cultivars exist in all sizes and shapes. Some daffodil bulbs have even survived for over a century in the ground and have flowered consistently for decades.
Did You Know…
- Daffodils have a delicate fresh fragrance.
- Daffodils have also been called daffodowndilly, yellow maiden, and Lent lily.
- A daffodil flower can take five years to appear on a plant grown from seed.
- Daffodil plants are very toxic, yet early Roman medical texts contain a variety of daffodil recipes. These recipes were used to treat everything from cuts and bruises to stomach problems.
- Deer and other wildlife refuse to eat daffodils.
Daffodils and Civilization
From literature and art to folklore and traditions, the daffodil has touched various aspects of culture in countries across the world. Some traditions claim they bring good luck and wealth. Most see them as a symbol of happiness and hope. They lift our spirits. (Who doesn’t smile when gazing upon a field of bright yellow daffodils?)
They are also a source of inspiration, stirring our emotions. Over the years, many poets, writers, and artists have all been inspired by the daffodil. One of the most famous examples is Wordsworth’s poem, I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud (aka Daffodils). It refers to the swathes of wild daffodils he saw on Ullswater’s shores where he walked in April 1802.
(Ullswater is in England’s Lake District. You can read more about the area in the following three DYKs from early 2022: March 12: Did You Know There’s a Bit of Heaven on Earth in Northern England?; March 19: Did You Know Writers Helped Shape England’s Lake District?; and March 26: Did You Know Pencils, Pudding, Zombies, & Romans Have Something in Common?)
Did You Know…
- During World War II, when wartime control of growing and transporting flowers threatened Britain’s flower production in Cornwell and the Isles of Sicily, the growers sent Winston Churchill daffodils. His response: “These people must be enabled to grow their flowers and send them to London – they cheer us up so much in these dark days.”
- Cancer groups began using daffodils in the 1950s as a symbol of hope. Ever since then, the flower has been symbolically linked to the fight against cancer.