American Daffodil Society, General

Doubles changing to singles

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From: Sharon A Hunt
Subject: Double Daffodils

Message Body:

I have some double daffodils which seems to have reverted back to single daffodils. How and why does this happen and am I doing something to cause this ?

4 comments for “Doubles changing to singles”

  1. Hello Sharon,
    This is a phenomenon that has been recorded in
    history, one of the first being the Rev Wolley-Dod 1826 – 1904.
    He once reported the double daffodil at his home in Malpas, Cheshire UK.
    Reverted to singles when moved to Worcester
    and back to doubles when taken back to Malpas!
    The cultivar was thought to be Telamonius Plenus 4Y-Y pre 1620.
    ( Mount Sion )
    This explanation would be put down to soil condition, temperate, hot or
    cold weather all play a part.
    Here in the UK some daffodils can show different shades of colour depending
    on what the weather and soil, Rainbow 2W-WWP can show 2W-WWCopper.
    A friend of mine with fields of daffodils has noticed Hollands Glory 4Y-Y
    1915 seems at time turn into a single flower as if going back to its
    ancestor Emperor 1Y-Y 1869.
    It would be interesting if you moved yours again in a couple of years and
    see what happens?
    Not sure if this will help you but it may help you get more interest and
    enjoyment from your daffodils.
    Ian

  2. Ian:

    Extremely interesting history of this apparently rare event.  I don’t
    suppose there’s any record of what the T.P. turned into as a single?

    Regards,

    Drew

  3. Hi Drew,
    I imagine it was not named as it reverted back and without
    looking I would not like to hazard a guess but one of its ancestors which
    are not known.
    But think that it might not be such an obscure event just that people don’t
    notice if one flower in a group reverts people would but down to mix up and
    then goes back the following year no harm done.
    But I’ll keep an eye out.
    Ian

  4. Thanks Ian.  I’ll be keeping an eye out now too.

    T.P. is such an unusual flower that I think we’d all benefit from
    knowing the secrets of.  Green to golden, short and ugly to huge and
    beautiful, it’s one of the strangest birds out there.  Agree that
    location has a huge effect, but there’s more going on with Van Sion than
    “is dreamt of in [our] philosophy.”

    Regards, Drew

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