Narcissus jonquilla
| Narcissus jonquilla | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Narcissus jonquilla (common name: jonquil)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A short stratification will improve the germination of stored seed. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left undisturbed in the pot for their first two years of growth. Give them an occasional liquid feed in the growing season to ensure they do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants become dormant in the summer, pot up the small bulbs placing 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in the greenhouse before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer.
Division of bulbs after the leaves die down in early summer[1]. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions, or can be stored in a cool place and then be planted out in the autumn. It is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for a year before planting them out when dormant in the autumn.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep rather stiff soil but succeeds in most soils[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Easily grown in a dry sunny position[2]. Prefers an alkaline soil with a pH between 7 and 8[3].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is widely cultivated around the Mediterranean for its essential oil[4].
The blooms, which are almost intoxicatingly scented, have an undertone of orange in their perfume[5]. The double form, 'flora Pleno' is even more powerfully scented[5].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Rocky hillsides, often on limestone[2], also in meadows and damp places[4].
Edibility: Flowers - raw or candied and made into desserts[6].
Usage: An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery[7][8][9]. 1 kg of flowers yields 1g absolute of essential oil[10].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although we have no records for this species, many if not all members of this genus are poisonous[K].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.