Jonquils, Daffodils, Narcissus . . . The Spring Plant With Many Names

So what are they -- those mostly yellow flowers that bloom in the Spring?

Are they daffodils?

Are they Jonquils?

Are they Narcissus?

Actually they all are narcissus.

And while in different parts of the country, jonquils may be called daffodils, this is botanically incorrect!

But then the smaller variety of daffodils are often referred to as narcissus

which adds even more confusion to the daffodil, jonquil, narcissus question.

Since daffodils and jonquils are all narcissus, is there another difference?

Of course, there is -- scent!

Daffodils are barely scented

While jonquils are very perfumed.

Although the words are synonymous they do not take a jonquil a daffodil.

And with some study you can tell them apart --

Jonquils have numerous yellow scented blooms with rounded foliage and are really more common in warmer climes.

You can also tell the difference by the leaves

Jonquils have slender leaves that round on the tips

while daffodils sport slim sword-tipped foliage

Jonquil stems are hollow and shorter.

Jonquils also tend to have clusters of flowers while daffodils do not.

But they are so very very similar that a gardener

often calls all of these spring bulbs by one name --

the name they were taught as children!

And the biggest difference?

Jonquils only grow in yellow hues

while daffodils may be found in white, peach, pink and a variety of other colors.

You plant both both bulbs the same and both varieties 

love our part of the prairie.

I've been planting narcissus bulbs now for over 30 years

Some years more than others

And I am rewarded with an abundance of blooms to grace the house in April

My first bouquet -- a mixture of daffodils and jonquils

for St. Patrick's Day lunch!

An end table in the living room with some wee daffodils

A mixture of daffodils and jonquils

On the dining room table

Adding a bit of Spring to afternoon tea!

A wee Waterford vase holds wee daffodils on my dressing table

And last fall I planted both jonquils and daffodils in the new raised beds

We try to always keep a bouquet on the breakfast room table

To lend cheer to afternoon tea

And a bouquet brings sunshine to the living room

A vase of my Mother's filled with the cheery blooms

while we have leftover orange twist rolls for tea

I think of narcissus as the Easter flower as much as the Easter lily

for they're always in bloom at Easter

And this bouquet makes the Good Friday hot cross muffins

taste even better

One of my favorite daffodils -- newly planted last fall

The Poet's Daffodil

I love the white, red and yellow of this variety

Breck's knows when to send out their latest bulb catalogue --

I got mine last week.

Of course, if you order early, it's cheaper!

And I've got several variety of bulbs circled that I want to add.

I want to try more tulips, too, for I adore them -- especially the parrot variety.

Narcissus -- whether you call them that or daffodils or jonquils,

they always bring a smile to your face!