About

Narcissus pseudonarcissus, commonly named the wild daffodil or Lent lily (Welsh: Cennin Pedr), is a perennial flowering plant.

This species has pale yellow tepals, with a darker central trumpet. The long, narrow leaves are slightly greyish green in colour and rise from the base of the stem. The plant grows from a bulb. The flowers produce seeds which, when germinated, take five to seven years to produce a flowering plant. (Sexual seed reproduction mixes the traits of both parent flowers, so if garden hybrid cultivars are planted close to wild populations of Narcissus pseudonarcissus, there is a danger that the new seedlings, having hybrid vigour, could out-compete the wild plants.)

Where it grows

The species is native to Western Europe from Spain and Portugal east to Germany and north to England and Wales. It is commonly grown in gardens and populations have become established in the Balkans, Australia, New Zealand, the Caucasus, Madeira, British Columbia, Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Oregon, Washington state, much of the eastern United States, and the Falkland Islands. Wild plants grow in woods, grassland and on rocky ground. In Britain native populations have decreased substantially since the 19th century due to intensification of agriculture, clearance of woodland and uprooting of the bulbs for use in gardens. In Germany it was a subject of a national awareness campaign for the protection of wildflowers in 1981.

Other Narcissus plants

Narcissus abscissus · Dafodill · Narcissus blanchardii · Narcissus broussonetii · Narcissus bujei · Petticoat daffodil · Narcissus calcicola · White Hoop Petticoat Daffodil · Narcissus cavanillesii · Narcissus cernuus · Narcissus cuatrecasasii · Cyclamen Flowered Daffodil