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Photo: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Wild Daffodil
Pale yellow segments surround a deeper trumpet in this spring bulb. The species is recorded in Ireland, alongside many other planted daffodil cultivars.
See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.
FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE
Finding guide
Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.
- When to go
- Mainly spring, often February–April; cultivated varieties differ substantially.
- Where to start
- Irish parks and old gardens. This entry does not identify every yellow garden daffodil as this species.
- What to do when you arrive
- In spring, check labelled beds in open gardens, comparing petals, trumpet and leaves. Many planted daffodils are hybrids; a planted display is not evidence of wild occurrence of this species.
Habitat and behaviour reference: National Biodiversity Data Centre ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.
ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS
One plant. Four seasons.
Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.
Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.
Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.
Spring
Mar–May
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Feature reference photo ↗
Flowers
Trumpet-shaped yellow flowers rise among strap-like leaves in the most conspicuous season.
Summer
Jun–AugUnderground or seed dormancy
Leaves yellow in early summer, followed by underground bulb dormancy.
Autumn
Sep–NovUnderground or seed dormancy
Usually no visible flowers or leaves, though bulbs remain in the soil; do not dig them up.
Winter
Dec–Feb.jpg_02.jpg)
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Feature reference photo ↗
Shoots and buds
Inconspicuous for much of winter; leaf tips can emerge late, with early cultivars flowering sooner.
Seasonal references: National Biodiversity Data Centre ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.
FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY
Fruits, seeds & edibility
Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.
Fruit
Photo unavailable
An unopened green wild-daffodil capsule.
Salicyna · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ License termsA three-chambered capsule forms after flowering, dries and splits.
- Food use of this part
- Do not eat
Seeds & dispersal units
Photo unavailable
Dry capsules and extracted black seeds, with a scale.
Roger Culos · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ License termsBlack seeds develop inside the capsule; bulbs are different structures, and neither should be tasted.
- Food use of this part
- Do not eat
Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.
Sources & limitations
- National Biodiversity Data Centre ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety
- NC State Extension · Plant Toolbox ↗
No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.
How to identify it
Strap-like basal leaves and a long central trumpet. Yellow colour cannot separate the many Narcissus species and hybrids.
Where it grows
Gardens, parks, old estates and some naturalised grassland.
Growth and ecology
A perennial bulb whose leaves die down after flowering. All parts are poisonous; never mistake the bulb for an onion.
Flowering and seasons
Mainly spring, often February–April; cultivated varieties differ substantially.
Where to look
Irish parks and old gardens. This entry does not identify every yellow garden daffodil as this species.
Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.
Further reading:National Biodiversity Data Centre ↗
Photo license: Jonathan Billinger · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.