Poet's Daffodil
Narcissus poeticus
non-native
Other Names:
Poet's Narcissus, Pheasant's Eye, Nargis, Findern Flower, Pinxter Lily
The Poet's Daffodil is a non-native species that grows in the wild and is also popular as a garden flower. It is originally from Europe, and it was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was given its scientific name by Linnaeus, who thought it represented the story of Narcissus from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome youth who fell in love with his own reflection in the water, and the story is the basis for the term "narcissism" for people who admire themselves to an excessive degree. Daffodils also have a connection with poetry because of a poem about them by William Wordsworth, which begins. "I wandered lonely as a cloud…" The oil from Poet's Daffodils is used in perfumes. Gardeners like them because they are hardy and beautiful plants that require little care.
Identification Tools
Missouri Botanical Garden
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American Meadows
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