Narcissus poeticus 'Albus Plenus Odoratus'

Here’s a daffodil I really didn’t think I would ever be showing you. This is the double flowered form of the poet’s narcissus, Narcissus poeticus. Its garden names are ‘Albus Plenus Odoratus” and “the gardenia flowered daffodil”. it’s an old plant in gardens. It keeps the fragrance of the typical wild form. The plant itself is easily grown, and it annually produces budded scapes. But in a climate such as ours, these buds rarely open: typically, the floral parts rot inside the sheath.

Heat is probably the culprit. So in our climate it’s rare to see a fully formed flower. But this year was different, wasn't it? Not marked by extreme cold, late winter and early spring this year remained stubbornly colder than normal. And here’s one plant which actually benefited from that prolonged chill.

I’m keeping these in the refrigerator so I can get a good long look at them: I don’t expect to see them again next year.