Birth Flowers & Meanings of Birth Flowers
A birth flower is a flower symbol for each month of the year. Each month has a birth flower and some have two.
It is believed that birthday celebrations originated in the Roman Empire and the origins of birth flowers date back to these times. The Roman birthday celebrations included honoring their Gods by decorating the altars with flowers. Also, during Roman birthday celebrations family and friends brought gifts including flowers to celebrate the birthday person.
Each month in 2012 we will write about each month's birth flower. We will give information on the meaning of each birth flower and symbolism surrounding each month's flower. Birthday Flowers available for delivery throughout Canada. View information on January's Birth Flower and February's birth flowers.
March Birth Flower is the Daffodil,
also known as Narcissus or Jonquil
Daffodil is the common English name for all narcissus. The Latin name is the Narcissu and Jonquil is the Spanish Name and a species name.
Meaning of the Narcissusl: This flower symbolizes friendship, respect, devotion. It also means modesty and domestic happiness
Interesting Facts about the Daffodil or Narcissus
The Daffodil is one of the first Spring flowers; Daffodils bring to mind Spring and Sunshine.
Daffodils are a constantly recurring flowers and often bloom in clusters.
Daffodils bloom from February to May, there is a variety that blooms in Aug.
Daffodils come in shades of yellow, orange and white, and can have contrasting centers of orange or pink
There are more than 50 different species of the Narcissus and over 13,000 hybrids
The Narcissus grows from a bulb and is part of the Amaryllis family
There are many different sizes of Daffodils
Daffodils were taken to Britain by the Romans who thought that the sap from Daffodils had healing powers.
The stems, leaves and bulbs of the Daffodil contain the toxin Calcium oxalate which can cause 'daffodil itch.' (skin irritation and rashes).
The sap of daffodils can be damaging to other flowers.
The national flowers of Wales is the daffodil, it is traditionally worn on St. David’s Day
Daffodils will live for many years if cultivated correctly
Rodents and deer will not eat daffodils.
Daffodils are some of the easiest flowers to grow
At one time, Daffodils were associated with bad luck
The origin of the name Narcissus stems from Greek Mythology about a handsome youth named Narcissus
Caring for your Cut Daffodils
When you get your daffodils home, re-cut the stems and place in a vase in lukewarm water
Daffodils last longer in shallow water, so only partially fill the vase with water
Be sure to keep your cut daffodils away from sources of heat & direct sunlight
Change the water regularly every 2 or 3 days, adding additional floral food and only partially filling the vase with water.
If you are going to arrange your daffodils in a vase with other flowers, leave them in water on their own for at least 12 hours, before adding them to your bouquet, as their sap can shorten the life of other flowers in the bouquet.
Famous Daffodil Poems
Daffodils by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.To Daffodils by Robert Herrick
Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again.
Previous Month's Birth Flowers:
January's Birth Flower - Carnation
February's Birth Flowers - Violet & Iris
Order Birthday Flowers for delivery throughout Canada
