Poet's Daffodil

Narcissus poeticus

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Poet's Daffodil

Narcissus poeticus, the poet's daffodil or pheasant's eye, is the classic narcissus of Greek and Roman poetry. Native to southern Europe from Spain through the Alps to Greece, it produces single pure-white flowers with a short yellow-and-red cup in late spring — the latest-blooming wild narcissus, often appearing after most other daffodils have finished.

The flowers emit a powerful sweet scent. This species is believed to be the 'narcissus' of ancient Greek mythology — the flower into which the self-obsessed youth Narcissus was transformed at the water's edge, as recorded by Ovid in the Metamorphoses.

Extensively planted in meadows and orchards across Europe, often naturalizing into vast drifts. One of the oldest cultivated flowers — recorded in Greek and Roman texts, later celebrated by Wordsworth and other poets. Commercial cultivation in the French Grasse perfume industry distills the flowers for narcissus absolute, a key jasmine-tobacco note in fine perfumery.

Fragrant

WATER

Wants wet

Keep moist

LIGHT

Full sun

6+ hrs direct

HARDY

Hardy to -40°F (-40°C)

USDA hardiness zones 3–8

How to care for Poet's Daffodil

Watering

Springevery 7 days
Summerevery 21 days
Fallevery 14 days
Winterevery 14 days

Soil · Well-draining

Main mixLoam + coarse sand 3:175%
DrainageGravel25%

Sharp drainage matters most — bulbs rot in wet soil while dormant.

FERTILIZER

Bulb Feed 3-5-3

With bulbs, when matters more than what. One dose goes in the hole at planting, the second when shoots break ground.

N27%P45%K27%

Nitrogen · Leaves
Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
Potassium · Strength

Springevery 21 days
Fallevery 30 days

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At a Glance

NativeMediterranean, Europe
Height1–1.5 ft (0.3–0.5 m)
Spread0.3–0.5 ft (0.1–0.2 m)
Flower colorWhite, Yellow, Red
Foliage colorGreen, Blue-green
SoilLoamy, Well-drained
LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

Mar–May

White petals with yellow-red eye, intensely fragrant; late-spring bloom.

Fragrance

STRONG FRAGRANCE

Powerful sweet floral scent used in perfumery.

Toxicity

Humans Moderate · Pets Moderate

lycorine and narcissine

HumansDogsCats

Moderate

Bulb
Leaf
Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating bulbs and leaves.

EFFECT Lycorine causes vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac irregularities.

NOTE Documented concern for humans: Lycorine causes vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac irregularities.

Moderate

Bulb
Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating bulbs.

EFFECT Vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, cardiac arrhythmia.

NOTE ASPCA lists all Narcissus as toxic to pets. Bulbs are mistaken for onions — dangerous.

Moderate

Bulb
Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating bulbs.

EFFECT Vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, cardiac arrhythmia.

NOTE ASPCA lists all Narcissus as toxic to pets. Bulbs are mistaken for onions — dangerous.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Native
Introduced

Mediterranean
Europe

History

Illustrated historical scene for Poet's Daffodil

Narcissus poeticus is native to southern Europe from the Pyrenees through the Alps to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, at elevations up to 2000 m in alpine meadows. It is the flower most likely meant by the 'narcissus' of Greek and Roman literature. Ovid's Metamorphoses (8 CE) recounts how the beautiful youth Narcissus, punished by the gods for spurning all who loved him, fell in love with his own reflection in a pool and wasted away to be transformed into the flower. The species was cultivated in monastery and peasant gardens through the Middle Ages and naturalized across much of northern Europe in orchards and churchyards.

William Wordsworth's 1804 poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' (originally about a wild population, likely of a different species, but often associated with N. poeticus in popular memory) cemented the flower in English literary tradition. The perfume industry of Grasse, France, cultivates N. poeticus for enfleurage extraction of its flower oil — narcissus absolute — which contributes jasmine-tobacco notes to classical chypres and floral perfumes like Chanel No. 19. The flowers contain alkaloids (lycorine, narcissine) and are toxic if eaten; the 1881 New Zealand 'Bollinger-Macquarie' incident recounts boys poisoned by mistaking bulbs for onions.

The 'narcissus' of Greek mythology — Narcissus transformed at the water's edge. Wordsworth's 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' (1807) celebrates the host of golden daffodils. Grasse perfume industry distills its flowers.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Poet's Daffodil carries rebirth, blooming late in spring as a herald of the season's peak rather than its first stirrings. It is also the flower of self-reflection — tied to the myth of Narcissus, who gazed too long into his own reflection and became this very bloom. A narcissus whose meaning is woven into the original Greek word for itself.

Rebirth — Late-spring bloomer heralding the peak of the season
Self-Reflection — The mythological flower of Narcissus gazing into his reflection

Where the Name Comes From

Narcissus from Greek mythology; 'poeticus' means 'of the poets,' referring to classical literary references.

Uses & Fun Facts

White petals and crimson-rimmed cup carry classic narcissus perfume
Heritage Poet's Daffodil naturalizes in meadows and orchards
Subject of the Greek Narcissus myth and centuries of poetry

Related plants

More Narcissus plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Poet's Daffodil?

In summer, water about every 21 days; in winter, about every 14 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Poet's Daffodil need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Poet's Daffodil toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Moderate (Dogs Moderate · Cats Moderate) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Poet's Daffodil easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Poet's Daffodil bloom?

It typically blooms Mar–May in the Northern Hemisphere.

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