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Origins of Modern Daffodil Classifications

© Clay Higgins

Daffodils for Collection and Show, Article II.

Daffodil classification is of little importance to the casual gardener, however, to the connoisseur/collector, hybridizer, and the show exhibitor, it is all important. To the connoisseur or hybridizer the importance of knowing the classification and color codes is necessary to understanding the botanical heritage and potential for hybridizing. To the show exhibitor, no flower can be included in the show without knowing its Royal Horticulture Society Classification and color codes.

Today's daffodil classifications are rooted in humble origins from the 1600s when daffodils begin to regain their rightful place in modern gardens. In my article on Fun Historical Daffodil Facts we learn that daffodils have a long history with the human race. However, from the last days of the Roman Empire until about the 1600s, daffodils were the forgotten flowers. In the 16th century they were rediscovered and have florished into the 20th century. In 1629, Parkinson called gardeners ignorant who called some daffodils narcissus, as "we" all know that the Latin Narcissus is daffodil in English.

However, he couldn't leave well enough alone, and divided daffodils into narcissus, and named them 'true daffodils', and narcissus pseudonarcissus which he called common daffodils. Narcissus pseudonarcissus was so called the common daffodil as it was a common flower across Europe, including England, and because the cup was longer than the petals. At that time, the true daffodils were thought to be "flat faced," or short cupped such as the N. poeticus which was popular at the time. It probably helped these to be called true daffodils as they were harder to acquire, and therefore more desirable to the collectors and botanist of that day. In other words, a little snobbery probably came into play here, as it took money and position to be able to locate and afford these.

The yellow common daffodil was not the only trumpet daffodil, other varieties included white and bicolors with no red on the crown. However, the yellow N. pseudonarcissus, is generally considered to be the parent(s) of the modern trumpet daffodil, with the most popular of all daffodils, the 'King Alfred' being one of its hybrids.

After Parkinson had made two classifications in 1629, the Standard Cyclopedia (sic) of Horticulture, copyright 1901, by The Macmillian Company, lists three classes of daffodils:

The division I, was trumpet daffodils with crowns or cups equal to or surpassing the perianths-segments in length. At that time, N. pseudonarcissus, N. bulbocodium, the Tenby daffodil, and others were called trumpets based on the length of the cup. It is of note that white and bicolor daffodils were included in this classification.