There are many other common names used and some of them are listed below. Angel's-Tears (N. triandrus), Austrian Daffodil (N. asturiensis), Autumn Daffodil (N. viridiflorus), Campernelle Jonquil (N. x odorus), Chinese Sacred Lily (N. tazetta), Hoop-Petticoat (N. bulbocodium), Joss Lily (N. tazetta orientalis), Lent Daffodil (N. pseudonarcissus), Lent Lily, Pheasant's Eye (N. poeticus), Poet's Narcissus (N. poeticus), Queen Anne's (or Double) Jonquil (N. jonquilla floreplena), Sacred Lily of China (N. tazetta), Tenby Lily (N. pseudonarcissus ssp. obvallaris), Whitsun Lily (N. poeticus).
General Usage
There are a large number of cultivars that are commercially available and they
vary in their hardiness levels. Thus, there are Narcissus for almost
all garden and landscape uses. They range from large borders and beds to containers,
meadows, rock gardens, in combination with perennials, trees and shrubs, and
fresh cut flowers. In addition, there are many more cultivars available than
those evaluated in the research trials reported in this Bulletin. Thus, gardeners
and landscapers are advised to conduct limited evaluations of cultivars to be
certain they perform well in their area prior to planting large numbers of bulbs.
Origins
"Geophytes" are plant species that survive via underground storage organs. i.e.,
bulbs, corms, tubers, etc. Narcissus are tunicated, perennial bulbs.
They are native from the Mediterranean and Western Europe across Asia to Japan.
This is a very diverse genus with many species. Some flower in late fall and
winter, while others flower in spring.
Flower Sizes
Flower sizes range from 1 to 5 inches (2.5 to 12.5 cm) in diameter, depending
on the cultivar. Some cultivars have multiflowered inflorescences.
Average Plant Heights
Heights at flowering range from 6 inches (15 cm) to 20 inches (50 cm), depending
on the cultivar and prevailing climatic conditions. If winter is short and spring
is warm, hardy Narcissus will often be shorter than expected.
Flowering Periods
Flowering periods range from late November for Paperwhite Narcissus in
North American Climatic Zones 9 to 11 to late May for hardy Narcissus
in Climatic Zone 4. Exact flowering times are cultivar and prevailing weather
dependent.