Narcissus Modern Art

The 'Modern Art' Large-Crowned Daffodil has a solitary large flower at the end of each stem. These flowers are canary yellow with a triple, curly, bright orange crown. It is a remarkable cut flower and an easy-to-grow, charming and hardy plant that blooms from mid to late spring for a beautiful effect in borders, flower beds or large pots. 

The 'Modern Art' Large-Crowned Daffodil belongs to the Liliaceae (Amaryllidaceae) family, more specifically to division 2 of the large daffodil family, which includes 12 divisions. The Narcissus genus includes around 50 species mainly found in the western Mediterranean, but also in Africa and Asia. It is a hybrid between the jonquil and the daffodil (it is a cross between Narcissus poeticus and x pseudonarcissus), with an intermediate trumpet that is quite open and blooms 8 to 15 days after trumpet daffodils. 'Modern Art' produces a very sturdy stem that reaches a height of 40 cm (16in) when in bloom.

'Modern Art' Large-Crowned Daffodil is undemanding and thrives in any well-drained and loosened soil, although results are less satisfactory in excessively wet or acidic soils. Plant the bulbs from September to mid-December, at a depth of 15 cm (6in), 8 cm (3in), in a sunny or semi-shaded location (at least 3 hours of sunlight per day). Left undisturbed, your daffodils will produce more and more flowers each year. It is a good idea to water if there is a drought. The bulbs will remain in the ground but remove faded flowers to promote the accumulation of new reserves in the bulb. After flowering, let the foliage die naturally and only cut it when it turns yellow. If the clumps become too dense, they bloom less well; you can divide them from July to September when the leaves are dry and replant the (undamaged) bulbs immediately.

There are so many varieties of daffodils that you can enjoy them for three months in spring without ever getting bored. They all naturalise easily and favour yellow and white, and they often have a sweet fragrance. These are all reasons to grow them in large clumps (at least 20 bulbs) for a better effect. Combine 'Modern Art' with squills and hyacinths, accompanied by double tulips , forget-me-nots, pansies, or liverworts. A group of 'Modern Art' Double Daffodils in a vase creates a sensational effect. This daffodil is perfect in a pot.

True jonquils are daffodils, belonging to division 7 of the group. Native to southern Europe and North Africa, they have flowers grouped in pairs or more. Remember the botanical species that have retained the charms of wild plants and thrive in rockeries: N.bulbocodium, N.canaliculatus, N.juncifolius, N.pseudonarcissus, and the simple wood jonquil are among the prettiest. For bouquets, we advise against mixing daffodils with other flowers, tulips in particular, as the stems of daffodils contain a substance that causes other flowers to wilt quickly. This detrimental effect on other flower types can be reduced by dipping the ends of daffodil stems in warm water for 1 to 2 minutes.