Narcissus Golden Ducat

The Narcissus 'Golden Ducat' is a superb variety of narcissus with very double flowers, and is quite old, rewarded in England by the Royal Horticultural Society. Its flower is a perfectly uniform bright yellow, and is double or even triple, and is remarkably organised in corollas of decreasing size that are precisely layered. This beautiful plant blooms at the beginning of the narcissus season, in April, on long sturdy stems. Its flowers, when planted in groups, truly explode like little suns in spring beds where it naturalises quite easily. Its waterlily or peony-like flowers, shiny and slightly fragrant, are of course spectacular in bouquets!

The double-flowered Narcissus 'Golden Ducat', sometimes called a double Jonquil, is a plant with very double flowers of the cultivar 'King Alfred', and is a horticultural hybrid introduced in the Netherlands in 1946. It belongs to the amaryllidaceae family, and more precisely to division 4 of the narcissus. The genus Narcissus includes about 50 species found mainly in the western Mediterranean, but also in Africa and Asia. 'Golden Ducat', tall and slender, produces a very sturdy stem that is 45-50 cm (18-20in) tall when in bloom. It is a spring-flowering plant, with a large yellow-green flower bud that opens into very large round flowers, 11 cm (4in) in diameter, facing upward, composed of 2 to 3 rows of waxy-textured petals topped with an original crown. This crown or cup-shaped paracorolla is divided here into segments that alternate with the petals. Double-flowered narcissus have a long flowering period. The foliage is deciduous, linear, and disappears in summer. 

With such a variety of narcissus cultivars, one can enjoy them for three months in spring without ever getting tired. They all have in common the ability to naturalise easily, a love for yellow and white, and often emit sweet scents. So many reasons to grow them in large clumps (at least 20 bulbs) for a multiplied effect. Combine the 'Golden Ducat' narcissus, in slightly formal beds, with blue squills and hyacinths, accompany them with double tulips as well as forget-me-nots, pansies, or liverworts. A group of 'Golden Ducat' double-flowered narcissus in a vase creates a sensational effect. In pots, it is simply perfect.

Jonquil or Narcissus? Botanically speaking, jonquils are part of the narcissus family. They have flowers grouped in twos or more, and their corona forms a bell-shaped trumpet that is longer than the corolla is wide. The botanical species have the charm of wild plants and thrive in rock gardens: N.bulbocodium, N. canaliculatus, N.juncifolius, N.pseudonarcissus, the simple wood jonquil, are among the prettiest ones. For bouquets, we advise against mixing narcissus with other flowers, especially tulips, as the stems of narcissus contain a substance that causes other flowers to wither quickly. This adverse effect on other flower species can be mitigated by dipping the ends of the narcissus stems in warm water for 1 to 2 minutes.