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Direction of spring flowers

bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
in Plants
I know that this sounds strange, but we have many many clumps of narcissus and daffodils growing in our garden and our orchard.
The narcissus flowers all face towards the sun but the daffs dont, they face in the opposite direction.
How strange.
any ideas to why?
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Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I have to say I thought both would face the sun they are in the same family?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Plantminded said:
    The narcissus thinks it's seeing its reflection perhaps?!
     :D 
    It may come down to variety. Many 'ordinary' daffs tend to be less fussy, and are happy in shade and wet soil. Some of the fancier types are much fussier and prefer sun and really well draining soil.
    I lose some most years to wet conditions, whereas some are happier with more moisture. The difficulty is being able to tell which are which, because it isn't always straightforward. I've certainly lost quite a lot of the ones my sister gave me as a birthday present some years ago. They certainly don't like wet conditions, so it's hard for me to get a suitable spot for them.
    Technically, they're all narcissus though.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    @bertrand-mabel, do the ones that face the sun stay in one position or do they actually track the sun, moving like sunflowers do following the sun from east to west during the day?  

    I've been doing a search on the difference between phototropism and heliotropism but found no conclusion to explain your phenomenon.  One fact stood out though that younger flowers seem to face or follow the sun but this stops as they age.  Pollen production has been found to be linked to sunlight exposure and once it's formed possibly the flower doesn't waste any further energy moving - that's just my guess! 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Where I live there are 2 long and wide green spaces on either side of the road with many hundreds of daffs currently in flower - a wonderful sight at this time of year.
    All the flowers face south.
    I don't think they track the sun though.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Some naturally droop too , while some are more open and upright, which possibly makes a difference. The ones I mentioned earlier that my sis gave me are quite open and I have another one called Lieke which is also very open. It's very pretty.
    I've never noticed it favouring a particular aspect though.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I know that hydrangea paniculata flowers droop once pollinated to save bees from wasting their time.
    Do daffs do the same possibly?
    I have a container with a mass of tete-a-tete that's been planted since 2016. They start off completely upright, but have now drooped a bit. I don't know if that's due to them coming to the end of their flowering or if it's because the flowers have been pollinated.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Interesting @Pete.8. I hadn't thought of that. 
    Once I have some in flower, I might take a look at them over the flowering period.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've just taken a walk with pooch and had a good look at the daffs on the greens.
    Those planted on the south facing part of the greens are all facing south.
    The daffs farther behind them are pointing in different directions presumably as they are shaded by the daffs that face south.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited March 2022
    bertrand-mabel said:
    I know that this sounds strange, but we have many many clumps of narcissus and daffodils growing in our garden and our orchard.
    The narcissus flowers all face towards the sun but the daffs dont, they face in the opposite direction.
    How strange.
    any ideas to why?
    Apologies...
    Narcissus is the correct/ formal/ Latin botanical name.
    While the common name for them all is daffodil.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(plant)

    The UK Daffodil Society have broken them in 13 different divisions...see below
    Maybe they are just in different divisions?

    https://thedaffodilsociety.com/a-guide-to-dafodils/classification-system/

    eg...
    Division 2

    Large-cupped Daffodil Cultivars

    One flower to a stem; corona (cup) more

    than one-third but less than equal to the

    length of the perianth segments (petals).


    Compare.....


    Division 8

    Tazetta Daffodil Cultivars

    Characteristics of the N. tazetta group predominant:

    usually three to twenty flowers to a stout stem; leaves broad;

    Perianth segments spreading, not reflexed; flowers fragrant.



    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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