Daffodil: The Remarkable Story of the World's Most Popular Spring Flower

There is no harbinger of spring like a field or garden filled with bright yellow daffodils. But the world of the daffodil is much more than just its place in the march of the seasons. It’s a plant whose history starts with the tombs of the Pharaohs, through pre-Darwin evolutionary theory and Cornwall’s burgeoning bulb business, and leads to the current explosion of varieties from plant breeders seeking new colors, fragrances, and forms.

Daffodil reveals a global plant infatuation that has led to more than 25,000 cultivars available in nearly every shade of yellow (and now pink, orange, and white). Noel Kingsbury tells the tale through an engaging narrative history and plant portraits that highlight more than 200 varieties. Jo Whitworth's revealing photography shows a side of the daffodil rarely seen. Plant lovers will relish the stories and gardeners will cherish the cultivation notes, plant descriptions, and recommendations.

Noel Kingsbury is a researcher, writer, and teacher. A gardener since childhood, he has run a nursery, designed gardens and public spaces, and done doctoral research at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape on the ecology of ornamental perennials. He lives and gardens in the Welsh Borders near Hay-on-Wye.

Jo Whitworth is an award-winning photographer based in the UK. Her inspirational images feature in a wide range of books and magazines. While taking photographs for this book, she discovered the original seedbeds where Victorian breeders conducted their trials, found colonies of wild daffodils alive and well in British meadows, and photographed contemporary breeders at work across the British Isles from Cornwall to Scotland.