This elegant daffodil adds spring cheer to the Dry Garden.
Occurring throughout southern Europe, the Mediterranean, north Africa, west Asia, China and Japan, the genus Narcissus contains approximately 150 species. They grow in a range of habitats from sea level to 3,000m, where they enjoy good drainage. All are bulbous, have six petals (perianth segments) and the majority have a central corona, or trumpet. There is great diversity in appearance, especially as a long history of plant breeding has given rise to thousands of cultivars. For ease of horticultural classification, daffodils have been split into 13 sections. Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’ belongs to division 6 (Cyclamineus) whose members usually carry only one flower per stem, have reflexed petals , hold their flowers at an acute angle to the stem and have a short pedicel, or neck. Raised in the 1950’s by the Cornish daffodil breeder Michael Williams, ‘Jack Snipe’ is an attractive and reliable member of the Cyclamineus division, with creamy-yellow petals and a yellow trumpet, and reaching 20cm in height.