Narcissus ‘Shrike’

Features

  • Toxic

Description

Outward-facing flowers have fully reflexed, cloverlike white outer petals. The central disk starts out a warm honey-cantaloupe and transitions to salmon as it ages. Its flattened, serrated appearance reminds us of a goldfish tail! Stems are medium height, and flowers are heavy pollen producers. This unique novelty is one of the first daffodils to bloom and is super long lasting.

Please note: When cut, daffodils and narcissus emit a toxic sap that can cause skin irritation. Use caution and wear gloves when harvesting.

Details

Height: 14 to 16 in
Type: split-corona
Bloom time: mid
Site: full sun

Harvesting/Vase Life

For the longest vase life, harvest when blooms look like a goose neck and have not yet opened. Flowers can also be picked when they’ve opened more, just keep in mind that they won’t last quite as long. Wear gloves when harvesting narcissus, as they ooze a slimy sap that can cause skin irritation. This slimy sap can shorten the vase life of other flowers significantly. To avoid affecting other blooms in an arrangement, you’ll need to “condition” them first. To do this, place freshly cut stems in a separate bucket to rest for 3 to 4 hours to release sap. Do not recut stems after treatment. You can create an arrangement solely of narcissus and the sap won’t be an issue. Expect a vase life of 7 days.

Details

Description

Outward-facing flowers have fully reflexed, cloverlike white outer petals. The central disk starts out a warm honey-cantaloupe and transitions to salmon as it ages. Its flattened, serrated appearance reminds us of a goldfish tail! Stems are medium height, and flowers are heavy pollen producers. This unique novelty is one of the first daffodils to bloom and is super long lasting.

Please note: When cut, daffodils and narcissus emit a toxic sap that can cause skin irritation. Use caution and wear gloves when harvesting.

Details

Height: 14 to 16 in
Type: split-corona
Bloom time: mid
Site: full sun

Harvesting/Vase Life

For the longest vase life, harvest when blooms look like a goose neck and have not yet opened. Flowers can also be picked when they’ve opened more, just keep in mind that they won’t last quite as long. Wear gloves when harvesting narcissus, as they ooze a slimy sap that can cause skin irritation. This slimy sap can shorten the vase life of other flowers significantly. To avoid affecting other blooms in an arrangement, you’ll need to “condition” them first. To do this, place freshly cut stems in a separate bucket to rest for 3 to 4 hours to release sap. Do not recut stems after treatment. You can create an arrangement solely of narcissus and the sap won’t be an issue. Expect a vase life of 7 days.

Sources

How to Grow

Winter Mini Course: Seed-Starting 101

Learn how to start flowers from seed in this three-part video series

In our upcoming Winter Mini Course, you’ll learn everything you need to know to successfully start flowers from seed, including all of the necessary supplies, step-by-step instructions, special tips and tricks, and how to create a simple indoor seed-starting area.