Historics

Tall, old, historic Narcissus with a deeply colored cup. ADS Historic. Breeding potential.

Albany (Pre-1935)

Beefy and Bright April Queen is an older variety that is enjoying a newly found cult of admirers. Blooms out of the leaves, blooms more into May for us in 6a.

April Tears is an Alec Gray cross of species N.jonquilla and N.triandrus. Seed parent to the terrific Tripartite. Similar to Hawera.

An antique double. A truly joyous bloomer that deserves a place in any border or cottage garden. Daughter of Telamonious Plenus and Ornatus.

A renown and important tazetta, Avalanche is an older selection of Grand Monarque, which is likely a selection from a (near) species. Floriferous and fragrant, Avalanche is widely distributed in the South. In zones 6A and B it benefits from siting against a south facing foundation for winter protection. Aka Seventeen Sisters. ADS Classic. ADS Historic.

Beersheba (Pre-1923)

Belisana flies an intense orange frilly-crenulated cup over detailed petals maturing creamy white. Large, tall and proud she performs well in the landscape, mixed border and show bench. Mid 20th Century Modern.

Bernardino is a white and orange-apricot large cup dating to the beginning of the 20th century. Pollen and seed fertile, Bernardino served widely as a seed parent a hundred years ago. Bernie is a good grower, joyous in the mixed border and quite visible in the landscape as a point of attention.

Binkie is an antique reverse bicolor with an alluring green glow all around. Cup matures to white. She blooms elegantly above the leaves and is an eye catcher in the landscape. Makes a real nice clump. With a well structured and remarkably hued flower, she is a show bench contender. Binkie gets around. Pollen and seed fertile, she is a parent of some notably good looking offspring: Pipit, Pueblo and Saint Patrick's Day. ADS Historic.

Bobbysoxer -- such a funny orange face on this Alec Gray jonquilla. Floriferous, friendly, fun. Diminutive but stands tall in the close-up garden bed and rockery. Old, but not a miniature nor a historic

Bodilly is pollen and seed fertile and has been around so long that he has great-grandchildren. A distinct and deep yellow cup, set on a white rounded star. Cornish Roots. A sterling daffodil for mixed border or mixed in the landscape. We are growing it in a large cup landscape mix and as a cut flower. Strong grower, makes a large bulb.

Older Irish variety. Sharp Profile, makes a large bulb.

Anyone referring to a flower named 'Buttercup' elicits all kinds of confusion. Are they referencing a Ranunculus, using a generic term for jonquils that bloom freely in the South, increasingly as an alias for Tête-à-Tête? One of the several daffodils registered under that name? We offer the historic Rev. Engleheart jonquilla 'Buttercup', a strong grower with large flowers more reminiscent of a historic small cup. Rare. Brings intense happiness to the gardener. Smells good.

Frilled and smooth and white all over, Cantatrice was the standard bearer for white trumpets in the mid 20th Century. Famously good on the bench, in the border and in the pot. From Beersheba. ADS Historic.

Corofin is a mesmerizing older small cup with a broad pure white perianth encircling a swirling yellow and deep red corona. Irish, mid 20th Century. Useful and powerful in the border. Pollen and seed fertile. Corofin has been crossed extensively, mostly as a seed parent. Descendants include the remarkable poeticus Blisland.

A centenarian, small cupped Crenver has shovel-shaped white petals and a green-yellow-red cup that shows so well. Percy Williams. Historic. Pollen fertile. If you are looking for a tall and late daffodil Crenver is a very good choice.

Cyclataz is the lovechild of a species CYCLAmineus and the TAZetta Grande Soleil d'Or . Vigorous, floriferous, wild in form, rich in color. Cyclataz does well in pot culture. ADS Historic. ADS Miniature. She is also the parent of three notable offspring: Jumblie, Golden Quince and Tête-à-Tête -- the most widely grown daffodil of all time. Classified as division 12 miscellaneous because she retains her parents' traits equally. Scented.

Broad white petals with a coy green eye. Much Sought after. ADS Historic, ADS Classic

There are so many large and bright large cups from the early 20th century (pre-quarantine days) that shine in the border and the landscape : Bernardino, Bodilly, Carbineer, Croesus, Dunkeld, Frank Miles,Red Devon, Sempre-Avanti. They all bring a full-sized simply joy to the garden. Daffodil Damson is maybe more colorful than most and hard to overlook. A tall and handsome marathoner. Historic. Pollen and seed fertile. Love Damson.

We are pleased to be able to offer Double Sir Watkin, a sport of Sir Watkin. A great perennial and quite common in older naturalized plantings, North and South. The double version is just as old (really old) as Sir Watkins but a bit more libertine and colorful. Sir Watkin dislikes being out of the ground, but once situated should become a permanent resident in your garden. Good for the South, although I would avoid digging it. Historic, rare, tall, early-mid season.

A very old white on white large cup, the Duchess of Westminster is a bit of a plain Jane by modern standards, but retains all of her 19th century to-the-manor-born-country-girl charm. The old gal opens white yellow but matures to swan white. A rare Billy Backhouse cultivar. When I see her planted with the large cups in the catalog garden I think it must be a mistake.
Our family sometime plays a visit-to-the-museum game. Each player makes a note of the oldest item on display that they can find. The earliest recorded date wins, whether trilobite, mummy, map, kouros, fresco or plate. If you have The Duchess of Westminster in your garden you can easily win this game.

Joni Mitchell has always been our favorite dulcimer player for reasons not limited to musicianship. But daffodil Dulcimer predates Joni by a half century. A very late and large poeticus, Dulcimer's sharp green-yellow-orange cup and promiscuous anthers make a truly heart-achingly beautiful bloom. After all of the other daffodils in your garden have faded you can happily pluck Dulcimer and sing "Cary get out your cane". Pollen and seed fertile.

Dunkeld is a very old daffodil variety that is strong and solid in the border and in the landscape planting. Straightforward yellow and orange four inch flowers. A vigorous grower that makes a very large bulb. Pollen and seed fertile, Dunkeld has sired many red cups.

Edward Buxton is an old bachelor with a very interesting yellow-yellow-orange small cup. Tall and strong in the landscape, Eddie cleans up good for the bench. Historic. Sun proof and strong.

Elegance

Erlicheer is an older tazetta sport with bodacious double, strongly scented blooms. Excellent for forcing and for cut flowers. Erlicheer may struggle in Zone 6 even with some winter protection. Grows freely in the South. A singular daffodil. Classified as a double but we all know that it really behaves as a tazetta. Makes an unusually large bulb.

Why does Flowmay drive us to such devotion? She is a tiny, miniature jonquilla, all white with an impossibly delicate pink rim on the cup. So improbable a heroine, so hopeful in a world of naysaying giants. Alec Gray named this for the missus. Tiny and rare. Powerful perfume.