If the sight of your first daffodil lifts your spirits with its promise of the warmer days of spring to come, you’re certainly not alone. Although not originally a native of these shores, the UK grows 90% of the world’s daffodils, and our love for these gorgeous yellow blooms is a very British affair.
Origins
First described by Theophrastus, a Greek botanist in around 300BC, in his seminal work ‘Enquiry into Plants’, the daffodil, a member of the narcissus family, was prized for its strong colour and trumpet-shaped flower. The Romans were responsible for introducing the daffodil to Britain, and they held this little flower in high regard, believing it had healing powers. In fact, daffodil sap contains crystals, which can be an irritant, but that has not stopped the humble daffodil from embedding itself into our cultural heritage.
Symbolism
Bunches of daffodils were sold on London’s streets in the 17th century, but it was the introduction of the railways that allowed large quantities of the early blooms to reach a mass market, and daffodils were cultivated as cut flowers in huge numbers. Flowering around Easter time, the daffodil has taken on connotations of rebirth and hope, and it is associated with optimism and promise for the future. Known as ‘cenhinen Bedr’ in Welsh, which translates as ‘St Peter’s leek’, the wild daffodil’s appearance in early March coincides with St David’s Day, and thus the daffodil has become the official symbol of Wales.
With the covers off your rattan garden furniture and daffodils in full bloom – you’ll know spring has arrived!
