Narcissus 'Ringtone'

Narcissus 'Ringtone', warm and full of good humor, offers a large flower in April composed of a pale yellow perianth at first, fading over the days, and featuring a wide and short crown, very flared, of a brighter yellow, all festooned with orange. This recently obtained variety is already a sure value: faithful, easy to cultivate, prolific and floriferous, it also stands out for the sweet, sugary scent of its flowering.

Native to Western Europe, the narcissus belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. The Narcissus genus includes numerous species and varieties, of botanical origin (such as Narcissus poeticus) or horticultural. The jonquil (Narcissus jonquilla), with yellow flowers and leaves similar to those of the rush, is one of the species in the Narcissus genus. In some regions, the yellow narcissus or trumpet narcissus (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) is sometimes called jonquil, hence the frequent confusion between jonquil and narcissus.

Narcissus 'Ringtone', obtained in 2009 from unknown parents, was introduced to the horticultural market in 2015. Its sweet, sugary scent and its small crown suggest that it possesses the genes of Narcissus poeticus, a botanical species that grows spontaneously in nature, particularly in alpine meadows. It is a bulbous plant with slightly pointed linear leaves, slightly bluish-green in colour. The hollow stems, 40-50cm (16-20in) long, end in simple flowers, 9.7cm (4in) wide, with 6 wide undulate petals of pale yellow, finishing off white ivory. In the centre is a small crown, 1.4cm (1in) long, fringed at the edge, of a bright yellow marginally bordered with orange. This variety will bloom mainly in April, depending on the climate.

Easy to cultivate and very hardy, Narcissus 'Ringtone' can be planted in various places in the garden: in the foreground of a shrub bed, along a border, in the middle of a short grass meadow, or can be grown in a pot. It pairs beautifully with grape hyacinths, early tulips, hyacinths, and easily naturalizes. However, be careful with young children, as the bulb, flower, and leaves are toxic. Narcissus are the most resistant bulbs planted in autumn, they prefer well-drained and light soil but are very accommodating.

For bouquets: We advise against mixing Narcissus with other flowers, especially tulips. The stems of Narcissus contain a substance that quickly wilts other flowers. This harmful effect on other types of flowers can be mitigated by dipping the ends of the narcissus stems in hot water for 1 to 2 minutes.