The Beautiful Short Cupped Division 3 Daffodil
The Royal Horticulture Society's (RHS) 1996-1997 Journal kindled my interested interest in the division 3, short cupped daffodil. Since then it has become one of my favorites. I've been using division 3 daffodils for years as my main "weapon" in the late shows that I attend. Those that know me, know that my daffodils get better later in the year, every year. The real trick of showing and winning with division 3 daffodils is to go to the later shows (I call it driving north), when the more Northern showers are struggling to salvage their normal season. I'm coming "North" with daffodils that have not been as subject to freezing weather and other adverse growing condition. Later daffodils are best because the weather and growing conditions are better in the late season here in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The HRS Journal gave credit to such American Division 3s as ‘Suave', ‘New Penny', ‘Johnny Walker', ‘Irvington', ‘Taco', and ‘La Paloma' along with others. Since those early days I have acquired a number of newer varieties of daffodils that I will show more then those just named. The RHS Journal inferred that American Daffodils, for example, ‘New Penny' 3Y-Y, are "untried." In American shows, division 3 daffodils still are not making an impact. In the September 2003 American Daffodil Journal, it was reported that only three division 3 daffodils, out of 75 that were reported, won in shows six or more times.
I have stated on Daffnet more than once that my favorite daffodil is the division 3. I have found that the division 3 daffodil also has a special place in the heart of the British showers and growers. The RHS Journal reported some of the top daffodils were ‘Doctor Hugh' 3W-GOO, ‘Merlin' 3W-YYR, ‘Purbeck' 3W-YYO, ‘Achduart' 3Y-R, ‘Moon Shadow' 3W-GYY, ‘Stanway' 3Y-R, and ‘Verona' 3W-W. There have been many good division 3 daffodil produced since then, however, these are still winners on the show bench in America. The multiple winners reported in the September 2003 journal were ‘New Penny' 3Y-Y, ‘Rim Ride' 3W-GYO, and ‘Colley Gate' 3W-YOR.
In the past years showing in America, I have had some luck with division 3 daffodils on the show bench, ‘Moon Shadow' 3W-GYY, and ‘Little Karoo' 3Y-O have won best in show for me. Some regular winners for me include ‘Angel' 3W-GWW, ‘Angel Face'3 W-YYO, ‘Dunley Hall' 3W-Y, ‘Evesham' 3W-GYY, ‘La Paloma' 3W-GYR, ‘Limegrove' 3Y-GYY, ‘Little Karoo' 3Y-O, ‘Magic Moment' 3Y-YYO, ‘Molten Lava' 3W-R, ‘Moon Shadow' 3W-GYY, ‘New Penny ‘3Y-Y, ‘Rim Ride' 3W-GYO, ‘Romany Red' 3O-R, ‘Spindletop' 3W-Y, ‘Triple Crown' 3Y-GYR, ‘Tyson's Corner' 3W-GYR, ‘Purbeck' 3W-YYO. There are others that were produced by John Pearson at Hoffland's Daffodils that consistently produce very well for me.
Don't be that quick to give up on a daffodil, just because it was not mentioned in the ADS Journal. The daffodils mentioned in the Journal are those that are reported by name as winners, such as on any of the ADS awards, e.g., Quinn Award, Best Collection of Five in Show, etc. Many a daffodil that wins in single stems, collections of 3, and divisional collections will not be reported to ADS by name and will therefore, not be listed in the journal. Others daffodils that won for me or for others in the shows I have attended include ‘Achduart' 3Y-R, ‘Carol Lombard' 3W-YYO, ‘Cherry Bounce' 3W-R, ‘Corozal' 3W-GYO, ‘Irvington' 3W-R, ‘Loch Trool' 3W-YRR, ‘On Edge' 3Y-GYR, ‘Princeton' 3W-WWY, ‘Red Era' 3Y-YRR, ‘Sabine Hay' 3O-R, ‘Suave' 3Y-Y, ‘Sugar and Spice' 3W-YYO, ‘Taco' 3W-R, ‘Warmington' 3W-W, and ‘Verona' 3W-W.
There are too many beautiful division 3 daffodils that win too put them all in an article. It's a numbers game that stands before the short cupped daffodil and keeps it out of the winners circle. The numbers of separately named Division 3 daffodils doesn't compare with the thousands of division 1, and 2 daffodils winners reported in the journals. In essence the American Daffodil Society (ADS) Show Reports in the Journal do not tell the complete story. I enjoy the division three daffodil because of the brilliant white petals and it small and precise cup. In the late part of the season, I look out over my daffodils and the bunches that are calling to me are the bright short cupped daffodils.
I said before and I still hold that unless hybridizers create earlier blooming division 3s, the division 3 will continue to follow the division 1 and 2 in popularity with the general public, and thusly, the showers. I am constantly showing and promoting the division 3 daffodil and including as many division 3 daffodils with my collections as possible. I seek out and enter all division 3 categories that I can find at the shows I attend and have steadily built a division 3 collection around the best that are available to date. That's both American and imported division 3 daffodils. I'm also working on hybridizing some of my own.
Every color combination available amongst daffodil hybrids is to be found in division 3. Their creamy white perianth segments, and good form inherited from their N. poeticus ancestors, brighten up show collections. They are generally later to flower, and the second half of the season should provide better growing conditions. Later flowers should offer ample opportunity to enter late season collections.
There are many division 9 poeticus daffodils categorized as division 3 short cupped. This is caused by the purest in charge of the Daffodil world here and in England that have this concept of perfection, and will not accept anything else. Many of the all white daffodils classified as division 3, are really Division 9 Poets. That also applies to other Poets that the purest decide that they want to keep out of division 9 because it doesn't quiet fit in their square hole, e.g., ‘Killearnan' 9W-GYR changed to a division 3. It doesn't matter if the parents were Poets, the purest will have it their way.
Who can say? They may be right. The division 3 short cupped daffodil, in simplicity, was a result of crosses between division 2 large cupped daffodil and the division 9 poeticus daffodils. That can be said of all of the four higher divisions, the trumpets, the large cupped, the small cupped, and the double daffodils are all man made. In general the lower divisions are not necessarily directly associated with any of the species narcissus.They have been crossed and hybridized to the point that the direct connection to the original species has been lost.
I wish they would quite reclassifying daffodils, and let us enjoy and show them.
For more information, e-mail us at Clay Higgins.
This page last updated Feburary, 2004.