Daffodil Flower – Meaning, Symbolism and Colors
Daffodil flowers are also known Narcissus pseudonarcissus. These flowers can grow both in the wild and in the back of our gardens. Their beautiful colors and scents are what drives people’s attention to them and what makes them so popular.
Their symbolism is also very powerful and has been around for thousands of years. People used the symbolic value of daffodil flower to express their deepest and most hidden emotions to others, which is why they have an important symbolic value for so many cultures.
Daffodil flowers are also known as the wild narcissus or Lent lilies. Their characteristic color is yellow, but they can come in many other colors. Flower symbolism in general is very valuable and important for humans. We say hello and farewell with flowers, which makes them our vessel for expressing emotions.
Without flowers our world would be much less fun and a lot more boring. We wouldn’t have those beautiful colors in the back of our garden and gorgeous scents in our homes. Flowers were always an inspiration for artists and people who enjoyed everything that is beautiful and artistic in any way.
Meaning of the Daffodil flower
Flowers are always hiding something behind them, a message or symbolism we need to understand and decipher. Daffodil flower has several important meanings. Some of them are:
- Creativity
- Inspiration
- Forgiveness
- Memory
- Renewal
- Vitality
- Inspiration
Creativity – Daffodil flower symbolizes creativity in every sense of the word. This beautiful flower is a symbol of endless craves for creativity and art. Many artists have used daffodils in their artwork and literature. Their goal was to send an important message with this flower but not in a direct way, because it would have been dangerous to do so.
Inspiration – Daffodils are also symbols of inspiration in various ways. Inspiration is something we get from everything around us and almost all things, alive or dead, around us can be an inspiration. Daffodils especially were an inspiration because of their beauty and symbolic meaning that lied behind them.
Forgiveness and memory – Daffodils were also symbols of memory and forgiveness, even though these two things don’t sound like they would go together. This beautiful flower got this meaning from the stories and myths that revolved around it. They influenced the symbolic meaning of daffodil and made it what it is today.
Renewal and vitality – This beautiful flower is also a symbol of renewal and vitality because it regenerates and grows every spring over and over again. Because of this, people saw it as a symbol of renewing energy and something to be looked upon if you wanted to start your life all over again and erase everything that happened before.
Daffodil – Etymological meaning
Daffodil flowers belong to the genus of Narcissus. They share the same genus with jonquils and paperwhites and people offer confuse these flowers because of their similar appearance. The name daffodil comes from the Greek god Narcissus.
According to an old myth, the name narcissus (which is the genus to which the daffodil belongs), was so in love with his appearance that he drowned himself in the river in which he was looking at. In the spot where he passed away, a yellow daffodil grew out and this is why we call it Narcissus or Daffodil today.
Daffodil – Symbolism
Daffodil flowers have many different symbolic meanings. Some of them are positive and others not so much. In China, daffodil flower is a symbol of fortune. People strongly believe in its ability to attract good fortune and luck, that this flower has become the official flower of the Chinese New Year. In Japan, daffodil means joy and mirth.
In Europe, or to be exact in France, people see daffodils as symbols of hope and belief in the better tomorrow. In Wales, daffodils are symbols of wealth and there are many legends linked to the daffodil flower. According to one legend, if you are the first person to see a daffodil flower in bloom, this means you are going to have a lot of money in the next year.
In Arabian countries, daffodil flowers were aphrodisiacs and people believed these flowers can cure baldness. In Medieval Europe, a gaze at daffodil flower can cause an omen or death that is approaching. In U.S. daffodils are symbols of the American Cancer Association and they symbolize hope. This is also the flower of the month March and the symbol of 10th wedding anniversary.
Daffodil – Color meaning
Daffodil flower usually comes in colors white and yellow. There are some variations to these two colors but they are best known for these two specific colors.
Daffodils can also have a combination of orange and yellow or even orange and white color.
Yellow
- Color yellow is the symbol of joy, happiness, positive energy and friendship. This is the perfect flower color to gift to someone who is not your lover or partner. If you want to surprise your friend or co-worker, then daffodils are the perfect choice for that. Yellow flowers can sometimes symbolize jealousy, but since daffodil’s symbolism is far from that you can safely choose this flower to gift it to someone you care about. Yellow daffodils can also be gifted to a family member or any other person very dear to your heart. Even placing a bouquet of yellow daffodils in your home is something that can make your day brighten up and it will definitely fill your day with more sunshine and joy.
White
- Color white is a pretty neutral color and you can gift this flower color to almost anyone. No matter who this person might be, you will make everyone’s day by gifting him or her gorgeous bouquet of white daffodil flowers. Color white usually symbolizes peace, neutrality, innocence, spirituality and purity. This is a flower color perfect for any kind of spiritual event where you want to accentuate the importance of faith and spirituality of that event. White daffodils are perfect for weddings or baptisms, and they are going to make every occasion even more beautiful.
Daffodil – Botanical facts and characteristics
Daffodils are beautiful symbols or signs of spring. Daffodils should be planted in the fall so that they can flourish in late winter and early spring. Daffodils are easy to breed, even easier to grow and are very resistant.
The flower of daffodil has usually six petals and the central crown is shaped like a trumpet. A single tree flower has 1 to 20 flowers that are sometimes so difficult to adapt to the ground. Daffodil crops should be planted between the bushes or along the edges of the trails, and always plant them in groups. They are resistant to other plants and can grow on different substrates, but most of them fit pH neutral or sour ground.
Before planting, dig up the ground in a depth of up to 20cm deep and crush it a little. Choose crops that are bigger, more healthy and undisturbed. Place them on a depth of 10 to 15cm, depending on the size of the bulb. The distance between the plants should be 7cm to 15cm. The best time to plant is the first half of October, a few weeks before the earth freezes.
For successful breeding of daffodil flower, the key is to plant it in places where they will have enough sun. So, dig a hole about 15cm deep, place compost or a flower fertilizer on the bottom, arrange daffodil bulbs with a top tip and cover over with ground.
Hold the shrubbery of daffodil in a dark and shaded place, do not plant the bulbs that have started to dry and are soft.
Daffodils are easy to maintain. After the flowering begins, feed them with NPK fertilizer. Remove the flowers from the vein and leave them at least a month and after flowering leaves. After flowering the plants need time to accumulate energy in bulbs for the next year. In the case of spring with little rainfall, it is imperative to water them regularly.
The most interesting types of daffodils are:
Thalia daffodil
Thalia daffodil – popular since 1916. Pretty white flowers and sensual scent. Combine it with other early colored flowers.
Jack Snipe daffodil
Snipe daffodil – very widespread in many regions. The bushes have a multitude of yellow-white flowers.
The Tete daffodil
Tete daffodil – blooms extremely early, very often under the snow. It lasts long and looks beautifully with purple crocuses.
Baby Moon daffodil
Baby Moon daffodil – flowering small yellow flowers on one stem. You can also plant it in the shadows.
Cassata daffodil
Cassata daffodil – has beautiful flowers that remind you of a broken cup. Very lasting flowers that last for a long time even as cut flowers.
Pink Charm daffodil
Pink Charm daffodil – is one of those that is not yellow or orange. In addition to white and yellow daffodils, there are pink and peach colors.
Actaea daffodil
Actaea daffodil – has snow white petals. Scent is very intense and long lasting. This is a perfect flower for bouquets that you can keep inside your home as a cut flower.
Daffodil – Secret message
Every flower has a secret message behind it. No matter how small or unimportant it might look, the message it holds might be surprising. The daffodil flower is telling you to always keep a positive mindset in all situations.
No matter how hard it gets in life you should never give up on your dreams and aspirations. Daffodils with their bright and charming colors are a perfect choice for bouquets. Like I mentioned earlier, they are even used in wedding ceremonials.
Daffodils are simply beautiful flowers even though their appearance is not as popularized as the appearance of roses and some other flowers. They are symbols of creativity, beauty and inspiration, and the symbolism behind them is still very relevant.
There are several popular stories and myths that are tied to daffodils that are well-known in many cultures around the world. Even though they are far more known as being in the same genus as narcissus flowers, there are several other species of daffodils that are popular. Daffodils are perfect flowers to be used in various ceremonies and can brighten up your day in every sense of the way.
