Twin Sisters or April Beauty: The Same Beautiful April Bloomer
Narcissus × medioluteus
March offers many opportunities for garden color, but as April approaches, daffodil blooms become scarce. One April blooming narcissus, N. × medioluteus (also called “Twin Sisters” or “April Beauty”) affords the opportunity of a late bloom and varying colors other than the traditional yellow. Each bulb of this rapid multiplier sends up a flower stalk bearing two to three blooms of white petals and a yellow cup, offering a sweet fragrance.
This bulb works great in zones 6–8, but for those of us in zone 8, the Narcissus “Twin Sisters” really offers the last of the daffodil beauty for the season. By mid-April, we are usually in the 80s which is just too warm for most Narcissus to last long; however, the “Twin Sisters” bring a lovely pop of color to our garden to remind us that it is still spring and the summer heat is around the corner.
Bloom Time
This heirloom bulb has performed well in zone 8 for a long time. When found in the “wild,” this bloom is often lost competing with the April explosion of weeds. However, in the garden or a maintained flower bed, it really is afforded the opportunity to shine.
Double Bloom
Each bulb sends up a flower stalk bearing two to three blooms of white petals and a yellow cup, offering a sweet fragrance. The dramatic yellow color of the inner cup draws the attention of the passerby. When this bulb blooms, there is usually a “shy sister” who almost seems to hide behind her “bolder sister.”
Naturalize and History
The Narcissus “Twin Sisters” is a rapid multiplier. You often find this bloom in pastures and abandoned home sites. Narcissus × medioluteus also goes by the name “April Beauty,” and was grown by some of the earliest gardeners in America. It is a natural hybrid of Narcissus poeticus, sometimes called ‘Pheasant’s Eye,’ and the Narcissus tazetta. This bloom has been around since the 16th century.
Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (at Monticello since 1983), shared that while the bulb wasn’t specifically listed as a flower bulb there in the garden, it is often seen along old gardens and river banks in the area. Just like the campernelle and other naturally occurring Narcissus hybrids, the Twin Sisters daffodil most assuredly came over with some of the earliest European settlers in America.
What is a Narcissus tazetta?
Narcissus tazetta have smaller but numerous blooms on one stalk and are often fragrant. They are generally more robust in warmer climates than the smaller species flower bulbs.