Daffodils

There are almost 32,000 daffodil (Narcissus) cultivars and the UK grows more daffodils commercially than any other country. Daffodils have been cultivated for thousands of years, often for medicinal rather than ornamental use. For a time daffodils fell from favour as a garden plant, as they did not fit in with Victorian formal bedding schemes. However by the end of the 19th century, gardeners and nurserymen began to show an interest in rediscovering old varieties and breeding new hybrids. In 1884 the RHS held the first Daffodil Conference and the RHS Daffodil Committee oversaw a new official classification system for cultivated varieties. The herbarium specimens seen here reflect the current horticultural classification system with a representative from each of the groups. The Lindley Library holds a large collection of beautifully accurate paintings of daffodils.