Heirloom 'Texas Star' - 10 bulbs

In Texas, we have the saying "Don't mess with Texas." This is to encourage others not to underestimate the strength and resilience of Texans. This saying certainly applies to our Narcissus bulb this week which embodies those traits of strength and resilience and is aptly named the "Texas Star." Though named the "Texas Star," you will find this beauty all across the South.

Narcissus x intermedius 'Texas Star' has become a favorite around the Southern Bulb Co. The name says it all, as this uncommonly 'Texas tough' hybrid between a Narcissus jonquil and a Narcissus tazetta performs well in clay, sand, ditches that get wet, and high ground that stays dry. Although different from that of the jonquil, in that it 1) does not produce seed and 2) has a two toned yellow color,  the sweet fragrance of the flowers in similar and causes many a gardener to lean in for a closer smell.

If we had to pick a few words to describe the "Texas Star," resilient, fun, and thriving would be some of our top choices.

Several characteristics distinguish it from the jonquil, to include the slightly more curved foliage and blooms of vibrant yellow cups with yellow petals. An interesting habit of the foliage is to commonly see it curve from two opposite sides of the plant, to reach over the flower and touch, as if a ballerina with her hands over head during a dance. But let not talk of ballerinas fool you, this rare selection has proven worthy in gardens all over Texas, as are many other jonquil hybrids.

The 'Texas Star' is the Narcissus that thrives in Texas in mid-March! This strong-performing fragrant Narcissus is a staple of any naturalized daffodil and bulb gardens in Texas and the South! We love that this is one of the latest blooming yellow Narcissus that works for zone 9! Quick to multiply, these yellow blooms pack a lot of color into small spaces.

What does “in the green” mean?

In the summer and fall, we ship dry bulbs that many consumers are familiar with. However, in the spring we ship some flower bulbs with their foliage still on them, having dug them right after their bloom. When the customer receives them, the foliage is in the process of drying down naturally. Plant the bulbs, with foliage and all in the ground and let the foliage turn brown and die back naturally.   Another option is to not plant the flower bulbs and store the bulbs with the foliage in a cool, dark, and well ventilated spot, and most importantly let the foliage die down naturally. In other words, DON'T cut the foliage of bulbs when you receive them in the green. The browning and dying back of the foliage is the natural process of the bulb sending food and energy from the leaves down into the bulbs for their summer dormancy.

I thought daffodil bulbs are normally shipped in the fall? We grow many of our own daffodils here on our farm, and while it is unconventional in the United States, it is common to have bulbs shipped in the green in other parts of the world. We grow many of our own heirloom daffodils that we originally collected from old gardens on former homesites. Shipping these in the green allows us to:

1)      Ship them during the bloom season when most gardeners are thinking of and remembering to plant daffodils

2)      Ensures correct identification of the flower bulb. These are heirlooms and buying and receiving the right genetic selections is important to having varieties that are perennials and will naturalize in your garden

3)      Allows us to offer more bulbs are lower prices to customers

Remember that bulbs shipped in the green are coming to an end of their growth cycle. You can expect:

1)      The foliage to yellow and die down naturally

2)      The bulb to be dormant in the summer and early fall

3)      Roots to start growing in mid fall

4)      Foliage appears next January

5)      Bulbs to bloom next February and March