Van Sion is another double daffodil with a little more green in the mixture and according to the 1969 Classified List and International Register of Daffodil names published by the Royal Horticulture Society is synonymous with Narcissus ‘Telamonius Plenus.’ While beautiful, it struggles to open up completely and reliably every year in our Zone 8 environment. It is grown all over the United States and other gardeners in colder regions have reported that it opens up just fine. Some people commonly call it ‘Twink,’ but the true ‘Twink’ daffodil is another older daffodil dating prior to 1928.
Scott Ogden, in his book Garden Bulbs for the South, describes the 'Van Sion' as "bearing fat, swollen buds above upright, gray foliage. If the weather is favorable, they eventually open small blossoms stuffed with masses of irregular green and yellow petals, endearing, if not really beautiful."
If you want something to add some true interest to your spring garden, the 'Van Sion' bud will do just that! It seems to stay in bud form longer than many other daffodils and then opens one layer at a time. The layers of petals make a fat fun bud to enjoy.
Animals: The pollinators enjoy this bloom and make good use of it in March.