Narcissus Golden Echo - Narcisse trompette, Jonquille trompette

The ‘Golden Echo’ narcissus is a variety of fragrant jonquil, recognisable by its white flowers with a golden-yellow trumpet and its fine foliage. Each stem bears one to three corollas that last several days before fading. The bulbs are planted in autumn, in a border, in a rock garden, in a flowering lawn or in a pot. A mid-season variety, it flowers in April.

‘Golden Echo’ belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. This bulbous perennial develops its vegetation during winter and spring, then enters dormancy before summer, after its leaves have dried out. It was bred in the United States by Brent C. Heath from a cross between ‘Ballygarvey’ and the wild species Narcissus jonquilla. The plant flowered before 2003, then was registered in 2014 by Brent & Becky’s Bulbs. Its parent Narcissus jonquilla, native to the Iberian Peninsula, passed on its narrow foliage, its fragrance and its ability to withstand a hot, dry summer once its vegetative cycle is complete. This cultivar is classified among the Jonquilla and Apodanthus narcissi, division 7. The plant produces an upright clump of dark green to slightly glaucous leaves, very narrow and almost cylindrical. The flower stems rise to 30 or 40 cm and bear one to three flowers measuring 4 to 5 cm in diameter. The six ovate tepals, fairly thick and slightly overlapping, end in a small point. Their base is broadly coloured yellow, as if the shade of the crown were repeated on the perianth, which earned it the name ‘Golden Echo’. The crown, longer than in many horticultural jonquils, is narrow at the base then slightly flared, with a regular edge. The flowers emit a sweet, clearly perceptible fragrance. They open in spring, usually in April, sometimes as early as late March in mild climates. Vigorous, the bulb gradually produces bulblets and forms groups that establish themselves permanently. Its qualities as a good garden plant earned it the John and Gertrude Wister Award in 2015, an accolade given by the American Daffodil Society to narcissi that are reliable and ornamental in a range of conditions. ‘Golden Echo’ tolerates chalky soils as well as slightly clayey ones, provided they do not remain waterlogged. It ranks among the narcissi best suited to Mediterranean climates: winter and spring rainfall accompanies its growth, while summer drought corresponds to the bulb's dormant period. Watering will nevertheless be necessary if the spring is dry.

This ‘Golden Echo’ variety settles into a sunny border, in a good pocket of soil between the stones of a rock garden, or in a lawn that is not mown too early. Its flowering pairs well with the lilac stars of the Ipheion uniflorum ‘Wisley Blue’, and with the small daisies of the Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’ ; these bulbous plants naturalise among the narcissi and flower at the same time. The small Tulipa humilis ‘Persian Pearl’ opens a little earlier, but can still accompany them in April. To mask the absence of the bulbs in summer, small perennials are usually planted that will not risk smothering them. For example, the Geranium cinereum ‘Ballerina’, which gradually covers the ground and takes over with its pink flowers veined with purple. All these plants tolerate dry summers.

 Photo courtesy of Laurent Lieser, tulipe-botanique.com