Narcissus jonquilla Play pronunciation

The Jonquil is a flowering herbaceous perennial, bulb in the onion family that grows up to 1 1⁄2 feet tall.  This plant blooms in mid-spring, has a spreading habit and is good for naturalizing. It has long slender leaves and clusters of fragrant, deep yellow flowers.The genus name honors the beautiful youth from Greek mythology who became so entranced with his own reflection that he pined away and the gods turned him into this flower. The species name comes from the Spanish, jonquillo, which means "little rush" and refers to the narrow, rush-like leaves.

Jonquils prefer moist, well-drained, lime-free soil in full sun or partial shade. This plant benefits from the addition of bone meal or superphosphate to the planting soil. This plant is tolerant of heat and drought, but is intolerant of extremely wet conditions.  

In the fall, plant the bulbs in quantity 3 to 5 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart to enjoy these easy to grow showy golden-yellow flowers in the spring. Flowers face the sun, so site the bulbs with any shade areas at the rear of the planting. Seed heads can be removed after flowering, but do not remove leaves until they have died back as they are providing nutrients to next year's bulb. Cut foliage back after it has browned naturally. The plant matures relatively slowly, reaching full height in 2 to 5 years.

Quick ID Hints:

• 1 to 3 flowers per stem, cylindric and onion-like leaves
• Perianth segments are spreading, not reflexed, and yellow
• Corona is cup-shaped and yellow

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:

No serious insect pests or diseases. Bulb rot can occur in poorly-drained soils. Watch for snail, slugs and bulb mites. 

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants", a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

More information on Narcissus.