Experts are on the hunt for rare British daffodils that are at risk of disappearing from history, and they are looking for the public’s help in tracking down these elusive blooms. These long-lost daffodil varieties, such as the vibrant “bonfire yellow” daffodil associated with bonfire nights in Sussex, are believed to be hiding in gardens and parks across the country. Gwen Hines of the plant conservation charity, Plant Heritage, emphasizes the importance of finding and caring for these rare daffodils to prevent their potential loss. She highlights the joy these flowers bring in springtime, as well as their potential future significance in medicine and science.
Believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans, daffodils are not just a source of beauty but also a source of galantamine, a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. With approximately 30,000 different shapes, sizes, and colors, daffodils have been bred for centuries and come in an array of hues including yellow, white, orange, and salmon-pink. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is reaching out to the public for assistance in locating rare and missing daffodil varieties that are feared to have vanished from historical and scientific records.
One such elusive daffodil is the Sussex bonfire daffodil, named after the famous bonfire night in Lewes, Sussex. Bred by local plant breeder Noel Burr, this bright orange-yellow flower has not been seen for over two decades. Sussex horticulturist Roger Parsons expresses hope that this unique daffodil still exists in a forgotten garden somewhere, emphasizing the importance of finding and preserving lost daffodil varieties for future generation’s botanical research and breeding programs.
The RHS is also seeking information from the public on sightings of daffodils this spring, as part of an effort to collect data on how these plants are adapting to a changing climate. Dr. Kálmán Könyves, an RHS scientist with 15 years of experience studying daffodils, highlights the need for monitoring the blooming patterns of these remarkable plants to understand how they respond to environmental shifts. By mapping the locations of daffodils in bloom, researchers hope to gain insight into how climate change is affecting the flowering habits of these iconic spring flowers
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