A host of daffodils

We all love the classic daffodil, but why not branch out and try something different? Graham Rice looks at the key groups and the best places to plant them

- Graham Rice

WE all know what a daffodil looks like, but did you know there are so many different wild daffodil species and garden varieties of daffodil that they have been split up into at least 13 different groups? Of course, they all have features in common, but organising them in this way helps us understand what kind of daffodil we have.

All daffodils grow from bulbs that look a little like onions or shallots, and they all have long narrow green leaves that emerge in early spring and die down in summer. The flower stems also emerge in spring, sometimes one and sometimes more from each bulb, and carry anything from one to a dozen or more flowers.

Two-part structure

The flowers all have the same basic two-part structure. They all have a trumpet or a cup (the corona), which is backed by a ring of six petals (the perianth segments). The technical terms are not really necessary, but it helps to know what they mean as they are sometimes used on websites and in catalogues.

Most daffodils are reliably hardy, are happy in sun or a little shade, spread steadily and are happy in most soils that are not waterlogged or parched. They can be planted in clumps in the flower garden or in rows for cutting, or they can be planted in grass and allowed to spread naturally. Daffodils are also well worth growing in containers.

Among the easiest plants to grow

Experts state that daffodils are among the easiest plants to grow, and the rewards far outweigh the work. Of the major groups of bulbs, daffodils are the only truly reliable perennials, and the blooming season can be as long as two months if the right varieties are chosen.