Narcissus poeticus
| Narcissus poeticus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Narcissus poeticus (common name: poet's narcissus)
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 and situations[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Easily grown in a moist soil, doing well in grass[2] but it is slow to establish[3].
The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -5°c[4].
A very ornamental plant[1], but it is sometimes shy to flower[2]. The flowers are powerfully scented[5].
Range: Europe - France to Greece.
Habitat: Damp meadows[2] in mountains[6].
Medicinal: The bulb is powerfully emetic and irritant[7].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the bulb[7].
Usage: An essential oil is obtained from the flowers. 500kg of the flowers yields 1kg concrete, 300gr absolute of the essential oil[8][9].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant, and especially the bulb, are poisonous[7]. The aroma of the flowers can cause some people to get a headache when they are in a closed room[7].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Matthews, Victoria. The New Plantsman Volume 1. Royal Horticultural Society, 1994.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.