Narcissus Jamestown

Narcissus poeticus 'Jamestown' is an Irish variety of daffodil dating back to 1978. It had disappeared for a while, in favour of daffodils with brighter colours. It is making a comeback, thanks to a trend for natural-looking scented flowers with more subtle shades. Its large, white, fragrant flower is adorned with a short, pale lemon-yellow crown finely bordered with orange and illuminated by a beautiful bright green heart. Create a spring-time display with the light foliage of certain heucheras or Alchemilla mollis.

Narcissus 'Jamestown' belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. More precisely, it belongs to division 3 of the large narcissus family, which has 13 divisions. The Narcissus genus includes about 50 species mainly found in the western Mediterranean, but also in Africa and Asia. LIke most daffodils with a small crown, 'Jamestown' comes from cross-breeding between N. poeticus and N. pseudonarcissus, or even N. incomparabilis. It is an excellent creation derived from the Irish 'Minstrel' cultivar, awarded in England by the RHS. The plant produces a sturdy, stout stem about 35 to 40cm (14 to 16in) tall when in bloom. It blooms rather late, in April. Its large, yellow-green flower bud gives rise to magnificent flowers, 8cm (3in) wide. The flowers have six wide, petal-like tepals, which are sparkling white. The six stamens are inserted into a cup-shaped, shallow, flared, undulate crown or paracorolla, with a pale lemon-yellow colour touched with green on the inside. The linear foliage is deciduous, disappearing in summer.

There are so many daffodil cultivars that one can enjoy them for three months in spring without ever getting tired. They all have in common the ability to naturalise easily, to offer an infinite range of yellow and white shades, and to often emit sweet fragrances. Grow them in large clumps in lawns or at the edge of flower beds (at least 20 bulbs) for an enhanced effect. Pair the elegant 'Jamestown' daffodil with squills, crocuses, hyacinths, double tulips, forget-me-nots, pansies, or liverworts. Daffodils make a big impact when planted in en masse on a lawn, giving it a rustic touch. They quickly naturalise to form flowery carpets. This daffodil is also perfect in pots. A group of 'Jamestown' daffodils in a vase creates a sensational effect and perfumes an entire room.

Native to Southern Europe and North Africa, they bear flowers grouped in twos or more. There is also the botanical species that has retained the charm of wild plants and thrives in rockeries: N. bulbocodium, N. canaliculatus, N. juncifolius, N. pseudonarcissus are among the prettiest.

For bouquets, we advise against mixing daffodils with other flowers, such as tulips, as the stems of daffodils contain a substance that causes other flowers to wither quickly. This detrimental effect on other flower species can be reduced by dipping the ends of daffodil stems in hot water for 1 to 2 minutes.