Narcissus Abba - Daffodil

Narcissus 'Abba' produces up to 5 small double flowers on each stem, with a spicy fragrance. Each flower consists of a collar of white sepals surrounding a small double central crown, tinted orange and yellow towards the centre. This narcissus blooms in mid-spring but adapts well to forcing for early flowering indoors.

Narcissus 'Abba' comes from a Mediterranean botanical species, Narcissus tazetta, also known as bouquet narcissus or Constantinople narcissus. Narcissus belongs to the amaryllidaceae family. The Narcissus genus includes about 50 species found mainly in the western Mediterranean, but also in Africa and Asia. The 'Abba' narcissus, introduced in 1984 in the Netherlands, is a horticultural hybrid obtained by Jac. M. van Dijk. The plant produces a flowering stem of about 30 cm high. Each stem bears 3 to 5 small bicoloured flowers, 4 to 5 cm in diameter and highly fragrant. Each flower consists of a translucent ivory white perianth surrounding a small corolla of marigold orange and translucent white petals. The deciduous foliage is linear and disappears a few weeks after flowering, reappearing in late winter.

There is such a variety of narcissus that you can enjoy them for three months in spring without ever getting tired. They all have in common the ability to naturalise easily, a love for yellow and white, and often emit sweet fragrances. These are all reasons to grow them in large clumps (at least 20 bulbs) for a multiplied effect. In borders or flower beds, combine the 'Abba' narcissus with Siberian squill, Greek anemone 'White Splendour', and botanical tulips. A group of Narcissus tazetta in a pot placed near the house or even in a lightly heated room will diffuse an exceptional fragrance. They are simply perfect in bouquets.

Daffodil or Narcissus? In fact, daffodils are a variety of narcissus. They are distinguished by their flowers grouped in pairs or more, and their trumpet-shaped corona, longer than the corolla is wide. Botanical species, such as N. bulbocodium, N. canaliculatus, N. juncifolius, and N. pseudonarcissus, the simple wood daffodil, possess the charm of wild plants and thrive well in rockeries.

For bouquets, it is best not to mix narcissus with other flowers, especially tulips, as the stems of narcissus contain a substance that causes other flowers to wilt quickly. To minimize this effect, dip the ends of the narcissus stems in warm water for 1 to 2 minutes before arranging them with other flowers.