Narcissus Flower – Meaning, Symbolism and Colors
Narcissus flower belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae. Other names for this flower are daffodil, narcissus, daffadowndilly and jonquil. This gorgeous flower makes gardens and fields look colorful in spring and summer time.
The narcissus flower captured the attention of our ancestors from the moment they saw its interesting shape and colors. They usually grow in Europe and North Africa, and there are many different species in the Mediterranean area especially in Iberian Peninsula.
Flower symbolism has an extremely important meaning in cultures around the world. Each flower has its own special meaning and symbolism that is usually linked to our emotions and feelings. When we had problems expressing our feelings, flowers were there to help us express our thoughts clearly to people without being afraid of anything.
Narcissus flower has many stories and myths linked to it and nations who lived next to it created these amazing stories that we can read about today. This flower might not be as important as the rose or some other flower in symbolic way, but there is certainly an importance we can’t deny. If you ever wanted to learn more about the Narcissus flower’s symbolism, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Meaning of the Narcissus flower
Like I mentioned above, every flower has its own symbolic meaning. Narcissus flower has several symbolic meanings that are linked to it and that pass on a special message we all need to understand. Narcissus flower is linked to these symbolic meanings:
- Rebirth and renewal
- Good luck and happiness
- Egoism and narcissism
- Clarity and inspiration,
- Chinese New Year
- Future bad luck
- Arrival of spring
- Prosperity and wealth and
- March birthdays.
Rebirth and renewal – Narcissus flower symbolizes rebirth and renewal of energy and life in general. These bright colored flowers grow in spring time and are perfect examples of new beginnings and rebirth. Their energy makes us feel full of positive energy and powerful feelings, we can’t and shouldn’t ignore.
Good luck and happiness – This flower is also a symbol of positive energy and joy. Whenever you feel bad or your day hasn’t been going so well, get a beautiful bouquet of these bright flowers and bring some positive energy into your home. Narcissus flower is a symbol of good luck and happiness in general in many cultures around the globe.
Egoism and narcissism – There is an entire legend related to the Narcissus flower, so it is no wonder that it symbolizes egoism and narcissism. Once you learn more about this legend you will understand why this flower is the symbol of egoism. We will talk about it later in the symbolic meaning of the Narcissus flower.
Clarity and inspiration – Narcissus flower symbolizes inspiration and clarity as well. They are symbols of creativity and they were often used by artist to evoke inspiration. Many art works are covered with narcissus flowers and their brightness simply brings positive energy and vibes to the observers.
Chinese New Year – Narcissus flower symbolizes Chinese New Year and the New Year’s celebration festival. The streets are covered with Narcissus flowers and they sell narcissus flowers in shallow dishes with pebbles and water on the bottom.
Future bad luck – Even though, narcissus flower symbolizes positive energy and good vibes it can also be a symbol of future bad luck. You can gift this flower to someone whose ego has grown significantly and they need to get back on the ground as soon as possible for their own good. They are a good way to tell something like this to a friend, when you don’t won’t to hurt someone with your directness.
Arrival of spring – Since they bloom in spring, narcissus flowers symbolize arrival of the spring. Their beautiful scent covers fields and gardens and makes us instantly happy that cold and dark weather is finally behind us.
Prosperity and wealth – Narcissus flower is the symbol of wealth and prosperity in many cultures. This flower has a specific meaning that not many other flowers have. Myths and legends link this gorgeous flower to wealth and the higher classes of society, which makes it an important symbol in art and literature.
March birthdays – Since spring brings narcissus flowers to us, they are also symbols of everyone born in the month of March. They are generally symbols of the spring and everyone bon in this time of year.
Narcissus – Etymological meaning
The name Narcissus comes from the old Greek word Narkissos. Narkissos was a young man in Greek mythology who adored himself and his reflection so much, that he fell into the pond and drowned because he was too in love with his reflection in the water. This flower got the name Narcissus after this young man and his tragic story.
The name Narcissus might also come from the word “narke” which means drugged. In the narcissus tuber, there are poisonous alkaloid narcotics that can work as a drug. There are many other names for the narcissus flower such as daffodil, jonquil, narzissen, narciso, narcisa and narcissus.
Narcissus – Symbolism
The self-confident narcissus flower has always drawn our attention because of its bright color and bold attitude. Narcissus flowers usually stand out on the green fields with their bright yellow or white color and they simply draw attention no matter what you think of them. They have always been symbols of egoism, pride, confidence and beauty.
An old Greek myth tells a story about a beautiful young man called Narcissus, the son of the River god Kefis and a nymph called Liripe. Because of his gorgeous appearance he used to draw a lot of attention and almost every girl in the country was in love with him. But, instead of enjoying the love he was getting from other people he chose to enjoy his own good looks. The young narcissus was so in love with his appearance and nothing else could even catch his attention. A young nymph called Echo was madly in love with him, but the young man never noticed her. So she decided to ask for help from the goddess of revenge Nemesis.
The goddess cursed the young Narcissus and one day, when he was going back home from a hunt, he saw his reflection in the water and fell in love with it. He desperately tried to hug his reflection in the water but without luck. Finally when he gave up, he lied on the grass and died there from exhaustion. When others came to bury his body, he was nowhere to be found and in the place where he was lying, there was a bright yellow flower. In his honor, the Greeks named it Narcissus.
Greek mythology doesn’t look at the narcissus flower as something positive it is more a symbol of unrequited love and vanity. Unlike the Greeks, the eastern cultures see the narcissus flower as a symbol of good business ventures and success. In china, when you want to motivate someone to do even better in life, you simply gift him the narcissus flower.
This flower symbolizes performing tasks efficiently and achieving greatness on business plan and in private plan. Others believe that the narcissus flower simply brings out the best and worst in people, depending on how strong your character and desire to do well is.
Narcissus flower doesn’t require too much care so many consider it as a symbol of fertility and rebirth. Since it blooms in spring time, narcissus flower is a clear symbol that warmer and sunnier days are on the way, therefore people become more positive and optimistic.
Narcissus flower has six almost same sized petals, so many consider it to be a perfect representation of the goddess Venus, which controls number 6, and the Sun, which is represented by the color yellow. His beautiful scent is often used to make perfumes, and it is best descried as fresh and full of excitement.
Anyway, narcissus is an ideal gift for all those unique and special people who make our lives happier. Give a bouquet of narcissus to a person you feel ambitious, self-absorbed and persistent, as you will emphasize its uniqueness. And if there is a person in your vicinity who you think he still lives in the clouds – send him a single flower of narcissus to his address, which will send you more than a clear message that he was knocked down the right time to land and look at around the world.
Narcissus – Color meaning
Narcissus flower comes in two different colors. These colors are white and yellow.
Yellow
- Color yellow is a symbol of positive energy and good luck. This color makes us feel more concentrated and focused on something. Yellow narcissus flowers can be given to someone who makes you feel good inside and someone who is your faithful and trustful friend. Be careful not to send the wrong message to someone by giving him narcissus flowers, since they are symbols of egoism and vanity.
White
- Color white is a symbol of innocence and chastity, but this color also symbolizes spirituality. If you want to give someone a nice bouquet of flowers to say how much you appreciate him or her, the white narcissus bouquet might be the way to go. Just make sure you don’t pass on the wrong message to this person, and that is the message of egoism and narcissism.
Narcissus – Botanical facts and characteristics
The narcissus tree has 1 to 20 flowers that are sometimes so difficult to colonize to the ground. Narcissus crops should be planted between the bushes or along the edges of the trails. Also plant them in small 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 with a depth of up to 20cm deep and crush the ground a little bit.
Choose crops that are bigger, more healthy and undisturbed. Store them at a depth of 10 to 15cm, depending on the size of the tuber. 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 narcissus, the key is to be planted in places where they will have enough sun. So, dig a hole about 15cm deep, place a compost or a flower fertilizer on the bottom, arrange narcissus tubers with the tip on top and cover them with ground.
Hold the shreds of narcissus tubers in a dark and shaded place, do not plant tubers that have started to dry and are soft.
Narcissuses 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 after flowering leaves. After the flowering of the plants, they need time to accumulate energy in tubers for the next year. In the case of spring with little rainfall, it is important to water them.
Narcissus – Secret message
Every flower has its own symbolic meaning and symbolism. Also, every flower has its own message that we need to understand and decipher. Narcissus flower is telling you to keep your head high at all times and to never lose faith in the humanity.
Just like narcissuses announce spring, they are also symbolically telling you that better times are coming and we just have to be patient. Pick a beautiful bouquet of narcissus flowers and place them in your home to bring a little bit of color and sunshine into your day.
