Plant of the Week
Tete a tete Daffodil
Latin: Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete'
My favorite flower is in bloom, the little Tete-a-Tete daffodil. Of course, I
should confess that being designated favorite is somewhat a passing fancy, for
my head is easily turned by the next pretty face that passes by. But, among the
thousands of daffodils on the market, this little gem is one of the best.
Tete-a-Tete is a little plant by daffodil standards, growing only about six
inches tall with two or three rich gold blooms each 2 1/2 inches across atop the
sturdy stem. The cup is about three-quarters of an inch long and the petals are
slightly reflexed.
In most years, it is the first daffodil to bloom in my garden, appearing about
the first of March. But this year, now that global warming seems to have firmly
established a hold on our winters, all of my early and midseason daffodils are
blooming at the same time.
Tete-a-Tete is what the daffodil society calls a Division 12 daffodil -- their
catch-all miscellaneous class where all of the selections go that defy the
arbitrary rules used to classify the 28,000 daffodil cultivars that have
appeared over the past four centuries. Its foliage is only about eight inches
long and very tidy. Tete-a-Tete is free branching and continues to produce lots
of new bulbs each season and continues to flower freely year after year.
Being vertically challenged -- or as some would say, a runt -- it has developed
two specialty uses. In the garden it is the premier choice for rock gardens or
front-of-border locations where its diminutive stature is a benefit. Its second
use is as a forced plant for sale in 4-inch pots. In fact, most gardeners are
first introduced to this little plant as a forced bulb then later discover it
does fabulously in the garden.
Is Tete-a-Tete a daffodil, a jonquil or a narcissus? To the botanist all of
these plants are called by the genus name Narcissus which is made up of 25 Old
World species which have been variously combined through breeding to give us the
cultivars we grow today. If in doubt, call any of these plants "Narcissus" and
you will never be wrong. The word itself is of ancient Greek extraction and
shares the same root word as "narcotic" in reference to the fact that an extract
of the bulbs could induce a drugged stupor.
The name "daffodil" in Old English was affodil which is derived from the Greek
word asphodelos which, is a name for several bulbous flowers said to be the
flower of the dead that cover the meadows of Hades. I must have missed Sunday
school the day they discussed what kinds of flowers grew in the meadows of Hell!
Generally, the name daffodil is assigned to flowers that have one bloom per
stalk. No doubt the word was carried to England by the conquering Roman soldiers
in the early years of the Christian era.
The name "jonquil" -- frequently used by Arkansas gardeners to describe
daffodils -- is derived from the Latin word for a rush, which the foliage of N.
jonquilla resembles.
Tete-a-Tete is easy to grow in full sun or part shade. It multiplies freely so
should be divided every 5 to 10 years to prevent overcrowding of the bulbs. Like
all bulbous plants, the bulbs should be planted in well drained soil. Allow the
foliage to remain at least eight weeks after flowers fade to provide nourishment
for next year’s blooms.
By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist
- Ornamentals
Extension News -
March 3, 2000
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