Narcissus triandrus Thalia - Daffodil

The Narcissus triandrus 'Thalia' brings grace and elegance to gardens for over a century. Created in 1916, this variety with small white, light and fragrant flowers is of a timeless simplicity. Each stem bears 2 to 3 delicate flowers, but don't be fooled by this apparent fragility, 'Thalia' is of exemplary vigour and hardiness! Easy to grow, it will naturally multiply over the years, without any maintenance. Perfect when planted in masses, suitable for container and rock gardening, it will also be superb in a spring bouquet.

The Narcissus triandrus 'Thalia', beautifully called Angel's Tears or Glénan Narcissus, is an old Dutch selection registered before 1916. The Narcissus triandrus, widespread in Spain, Portugal and France, is endemic to Finistère. Thalia was a muse of Greek mythology, her name means "to bloom, to be green" - and this narcissus is exactly like her. Very popular at the time of its creation, 'Thalia' undeniably has a charm from another era, its informal appearance nostalgically recalls the end of the Belle Époque. At a time when narcissus are becoming increasingly sophisticated, we appreciate its spontaneous simplicity, its natural generosity.

'Thalia' forms a clump reaching about 35 cm (14in) in height when in bloom. Its flowers are grouped in pairs or threes at the end of each stem. It is a plant that flowers rather late, in April-May, with yellow-green flower buds that open into beautiful star-shaped flowers of a milky white, hanging towards the ground. These flowers are deliciously fragrant. The trumpet-shaped corolla is bordered by small undulations, surrounded by slightly curved petals. The foliage is deciduous, cylindrical and disappears in summer. The flowering is abundant, uniform, and attracts pollinating insects. This variety multiplies easily by producing bulblets, without any intervention from the gardener, forming large clumps over time. The Narcissus 'Thalia' belongs to division 5 of the large narcissus family, which comprises 12 divisions.

Not demanding, Narcissus 'Thalia' grows in any well-drained and loosened soil, but the results are less satisfactory in excessively wet soils in summer. It has a clear preference for acidic soils, where it will be more floriferous. There is such a choice of varieties among narcissus that you can enjoy them for three months in spring without ever getting tired. They all have the common feature of naturalising easily, loving yellow and white, and often emitting sweet fragrances. All the more reason to grow them in large clumps (at least 20 bulbs) for a multiplied effect. Combine it with the narcissus 'Tricollet', in natural-looking beds, with scillas and hyacinths, accompany it with double tulips but also forget-me-nots, pansies or liverworts. It will also be stunning under acid-loving shrubs such as rhododendrons, or under a tree, scattered in a variegated ivy carpet. A group of 'Thalia' narcissus in a vase creates a sensational effect. In pots, this narcissus is perfect.

For bouquets: we advise against mixing narcissus with other flowers such as tulips, as the narcissus stems contain a substance that causes other flowers to wilt quickly. This detrimental 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.