Daffodil facts in celebration of this bright beauty

Daffodils have been immortalised by William Wordworth’s wonderful ode to nature I wandered lonely as a cloud and, without fail, bring a sunny splash of colour to early spring. We’ve collated some fun facts about daffodils here …

Daffodil is the official common name for any plant that falls under the genus Narcissus, including jonquils, paperwhites, and others. But most people use the term “daffodil” to refer to the familiar trumpet-shaped springtime blooms.
Narcissus species are found in a variety of habitats across Europe and North Africa with Spain hosting the greatest variety of species.
The Romans first brought the daffodil to Britain.
If you hear someone in England mention ‘Lent Lilies’— they’re talking about daffodils as it’s around Lent that many of them flower.
Gifting a bouquet of daffodils is believed to ensure happiness to the recipient…
…but legend has it that presenting only a single daffodil means bad luck may be on the horizon.
Daffodils could flower for anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on growing conditions.
And they’ll come back next year, too! Let the plant rebuild its bulb, and cut the leaves off only when they begin to yellow.
The daffodil is the national flower of Wales.
And if you spot the first daffodil of the season in Wales, your next year will supposedly be filled with wealth.
There are at least 25 different daffodil species and up to 13,000 hybrids.
They’re the official 10th wedding anniversary flower.
Tradition holds that if a daffodil is forced to bloom for the Chinese New Year, it will bring luck to the whole household.
Daffodils contain sap that’s often poisonous to other plants. If you want to mix them with other flowers in a vase, soak them in water for 24 hours first to remove the sap.
Squirrels won’t eat daffodils due to these poisonous crystals — be careful to keep away from dogs, too.
Daffodils are surprisingly tolerant of cold, and they’re an ideal flower for novice gardeners in most regions.
Look after them well – see our top tips here – and they can flower for 50+ years!