Narcissus ‘Canaliculatus’

Narcissus ‘Canaliculatus’ is now in flower in my garden – taking over from ‘February Gold’ and the exquisite ‘Thalia’. Note the name – from the sound of it, you would think it should be canaliculatus, analogous to Narcissus papyraceus. In other words a species, such as might be found growing wild in some stony outcrop in southern Europe or North Africa. But this daffodil is a hybrid, as the inverted commas around the name indicate. Hence it won’t breed true from seed.

Narcissus ‘Canaliculatus’

It has all the appearance of one of the species, however. Dainty and neat-growing, at 25cm (10in) tall at most, it produces tissue-paper-textured flowers that nevertheless stand up to variable April weather well. The trumpets, short and pale yellow initially, have now lengthened with age and faded to only a slighter darker cream than the backing petals. A pretty thing that I hope will bulk up in subsequent years.

Tags: April, canaliculatus, daffodils, Narcissus 'Canaliculatus', Narcissus 'Thalia', Narcissus February Gold