March 20th is the official start of spring this year. With the long, cold, snowy winter we have had, it is much anticipated and a time to celebrate. Cherry Blossoms get a lot of attention in DC, but the earlier blooming daffodils have historical significance all their own. There are many ways right here in our area to educate yourself about the flowers known as the yellow maidens. Why not have a daffodil fling this spring?
Scientifically Distinctions
The scientific genus for daffodils and jonquils is Narcissus, of which there are over 50 species. The flowers draw their name from the Greek myth about the handsome Narcissus who was so entranced with his reflection in the lake he pined away until his death. The daffodil’s head curves down as if it is looking down and iring its reflection.
There is a lot of variation in the narcissus world. The jonquils have multiple flowers on their tube-shaped leaves, while the daffodils have flat leaves with only one flower head. Colors generally are yellow and white, but over the years there are thousands of commercially bred variations. Daffodils are poisonous to ingest, which make them deer and squirrel resistant. Our Capitol Hill squirrels will eat all your tulip bulbs but they avoid daffodils which contain a toxic chemical called lycorine from the bulb to the stem to the petals. If you are interested in sorting out the different daffodils, there are over 32,000 daffodil photos on the American Daffodil Society website called DaffSeek (https://daffseek.org/).
Millions of Daffodils
As the weather warms, the daffodils start to poke up in our yards and parks. They need six hours of sunlight each day to reach full bloom. Lady Bird Johnson oversaw the planting of millions of daffodil bulbs in the early 1960s. The bulbs are long living, so we still see them along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Rock Creek Parkway, and the Potomac Parkway. The former First Lady also saw to it that thousands of bulbs were planted on Capitol Hill, in other neighborhoods and many public parks. In addition, the Capitol Hill Garden Club held fall bulb sales at Eastern Market for many years in the 1980s, and their efforts are still reflected in our Hill yards.
The Washington Daffodil Society
Like many specialty flowers, daffodils have their own nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the culture of daffodils. It was founded at the Mt. Pleasant Branch Library in DC in 1950. Four years later, the national American Daffodil Society grew out of the good work of the Washington group. Currently the organization has between 150-200 in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. hip is open to all at $15 annual dues.
On Saturday, April 5th from 2 to 5 pm. and Sunday, April 6th from 10 a.m. to 2:00 pm, the Washington Daffodil Society will host its annual show. It will take place at the Scottish Rite Temple located at 1430 West Braddock Road in Alexandria, Virginia, about a 20-minute drive from Capitol Hill. It is a chance for gardeners to learn more about daffodils with “eager to explain about the show entries and collections,” says President Karen Cogar.
Karen describes the horticultural show like the Westminster Dog show but for daffodils. “There are hundreds of classes devoted to standard, intermediate and miniature species, classic and historic varieties,” she says. Flowers can be entered for judging singly or in collections, and some collections have 24 stems or more. Each class is judged individually and, in the end, there is a best in show. “Any daffodil regardless of size or history has a chance to win the best in show,” says Karen. She herself presented the award-winning daffodil named River Queen that won the national best in show last year.
Virginia Experts and Festivals Far and Wide
Karen says she got started exploring daffodils out of curiosity to learn more about the spring flower. She notes that she was lucky that Virginia is a state with many hybridizers and growers including Bill Pannill, an internationally known daffodil expert. Also in Virginia, Becky and Brent Heath of Gloucester are third generation growers who supply thousands of bulbs around the state and in private gardens throughout the mid-Atlantic. Their bulbs are considered some of the best in the world. Robert Darling, a member of the Washington Daffodil Society, is also nationally known for his expertise and speaks to many local garden groups in the DC area.
Karen says she often quotes the saying, “I came for the flowers and stayed for the people.” She has judged at shows all over the country and one of her favorites is the Nantucket Daffodil Show in Massachusetts, which this year is April 24 to 27. The Chamber of Commerce says it signals spring is here with millions of daffodils blooming around the island.
Closer to home is the Virginia Daffodil Festival in Gloucester which was first held in 1926. Because daffodils are so prominent in the town, it was named Daffodil Capitol of America sometime in the 1930s or early 1940s. This year’s festival, “It’s All Sunshine and Daffodils,” will be held Saturday, April 5th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 6th, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The festival, which brings more than 15,000 people to Gloucester each spring, includes a Saturday parade and offers activities for children and dogs. It also includes many vendors offering food and daffodil themed objects and art. The event includes the crowning of the Daffodil Queen and much more. Check the website for all the details, https://www.daffodilfestivalva.org/.
Having attended the Gloucester festival several times, I can attest it is a great way to enjoy small town fun and learn more about the city’s prized flowers. Gloucester is about a three-hour drive from Capitol Hill, and if you take the back roads, it’s a great drive. Here’s hoping you have a wonderful time this spring enjoying daffodils here on the Hill and beyond.
Rindy O’Brien is enjoying some time thinking about the soon to be spring. her at [email protected]
