March Birth Flower: Daffodils!
Daffodils are the birth flower for March as they are one of the first signs of spring.
This flower is native to northern Europe. **They grow throughout the
Mediterranean region of Europe, as well as in parts of Asia. They are especially prolific in Spain, Portugal, It aly, Morocco, and western France.
This flower can be grown in most of North America. The exceptions are
really hot or wet areas.
A daffodil is traditionally yellow, white or a combination of those colors. It has a single bloom with six petals that are in bell or trumpet shape. The edge is frilled.
The scientific name for daffodils is **Narcissus, the Latin name for
this flower and genus that daffodils belong to. It should be noted many
flowers in the Narcissus genus go by the name daffodil.
For instance, Jonquils are part of the Narcissus genus and are sometimes called rush daffodils.
It’s kind of confusing, but the fact is that all jonquils are daffodils,but not all daffodils are jonquils!
Where did the name come from?
Legend says daffodils are named after Narcissus, the son of Cephissus, who
was the river god in Greek mythology.
Supposedly Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the water, and fell into the pool and drowned. The daffodil bloomed where he died.
Daffodil Traditions
For many people, they represent forgiveness, new beginnings, fresh insight, and creativity since they bloom during a time when the world is springing into fresh new life.
Daffodils are also linked to Easter because they are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring.
This gives them a meaning of new beginnings and rebirth. Because of this,
they are often associated with Easter.
Giving someone a bunch of daffodils is supposed to bring happiness and
good luck. However, if you give someone only ONE daffodil, that’s bad luck.
Growing Daffodils
These flowers like lots of sunlight. However, they can also manage to grow
in partial shade, so can be planted around small trees.
These easy to grow bulbs come back every year. In fact, they can flower
for up to 50 years with adequate drainage and sunlight.
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