Country life
Their cultural importance can ’ t be understated ; the name ‘ daffodil ’ was first recorded in 1538 , but further back in time , Ancient Romans cultivated daffodils , believing that the sap they extracted from the flowers had healing properties .
They ’ re the official flower for couples ’ 10th wedding anniversary , and they famously inspired William Wordsworth . Who can forget the powerful words of his 1807 poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud -
“ When all at once I saw a crowd , A host of golden daffodils , Along the Lake , beneath the trees , Ten thousand dancing in the breeze .”
They ’ re also known as the Lent Lily , since it often blooms over the Lent period . However due to our changing climate , and milder winters , daffodils have been found blooming earlier and earlier every year , with some emerging as early as Christmas Day !
Brighten up your spring by looking out for small patches of bobbing wild daffodils in woodlands , damp meadows , roadside verges and roundabouts .
Photo : Daffodils by Jon Oakley
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust , working for a better future for wildlife and wild places in Hampshire and the Island . Phone : 01489 774 400 E-mail : feedback @ hwt . org . uk Website : www . hiwwt . org . uk Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust , Beechcroft House , Vicarage Lane , Curdridge , Hampshire , SO32 2DP
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