Double Centannees
Double Centannees
Double daffodil, Narcissus 'Double Centannees'. I first spied a photo of this phenomenal flower many years ago on an online list serve for the American Daffodil Society, posted by its Dutch grower, Hein Meeuwissen. Discovered in a field of split-corona 'Centannees' (also grown by Hein, and my favorite Dutch split-corona), this doubled-corona mutation was selected, stocks were bulked and, finally, all these years later, there is enough for a limited release to the U.S. market exclusively through PHS Daffodils (I've only been asking/begging/pleading for about ten years!). Ridiculously doubled coronas nearly obscure the yellow perianth segments, giving the immediate impression of a pumpkin-orange carnation or Cracker Jack marigold. For so much floral tissue the stems hold the flowers well, and so far (four years in my field) it has never blasted as so many doubled flowers are prone. A novelty with absolutely no peer, I highly recommend ‘Double Centannees’ for the discerning collector and gardener alike. (And I must beg of my exhibitor customers: please enter one of these on the show bench to make the judges lose their minds over how to judge such a non-conforming flower. Hahahaha!) Bulbs have an interestingly narrow, elongated profile. Limit five bulbs per customer, please.