Rosedale Wild Daffodil Survey 2013

If you are a Rosedale resident or a visitor walking in Rosedale in the next several weeks, and you come across wild daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), the North York Moors National Park Authority are asking for your assistance.

The people at the National Park are surveying the Rosedale daffodil population this year.

Look-out for Daffodils in Bloom in Rosedale this Spring.

The Authority is keen to establish just how big the Rosedale daffodil population is – and the size of the well-populated daffodil sites.

And monitoring of the Rosedale daffodils is simple. It just requires your photographs!

The National Park wants to categorise how densely the daffodils are growing, note how successful their flowering is, and, by using photographs taken from the same key areas each year, look at the success of the Rosedale daffodils.

The daffodil survey is extremely important as the Narcissus pseudonarcissus growing in Rosedale is the only wild daffodil species native to Britain.

The wild daffodil is distinct from introduced non-native species.

True wild daffodils are different from garden varieties and hybrids by their altogether smaller, but perfectly formed, appearance.

But it is still a beautiful and large wildflower that grows in groups creating striking carpets of colour in early spring.

Unfortunately, however, garden daffodils are making their way into the countryside.

And there is the risk that they will hybridise with the wild daffodils in Rosedale.

When looking for wild daffodils in Rosedale, it helps to know that our wild daffodils grow best in partially shaded habitats such as woodlands, on riverbanks or in fields and grassland with clay or loam soils which are not too acidic.

These habitats are abundant in Rosedale which is why the daffodils grow so well here.

And our wild daffodils have a clever trick for regeneration.

They have two methods of creating more new daffodils each year.

This is important as it gives the daffodils a chance to increase their numbers in the face of climate adversity.

In early Spring, the daffodils set their beautiful flowers to be pollinated by insects resulting in the production of seeds.

But if the early Spring weather is too cold, like this year, with few insects about, the daffodils will regenerate by growing bulblets underground.

To get involved and for further information on the Rosedale daffodil survey, contact Alex Cripps at the National Park Authority by telephone on 01439 772700.

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Rosella Cottage is a luxury holiday home in Rosedale Abbey - in the heart of the North York Moors.  Built in 1850 but now completely refurbished; we have a cosy lounge, kitchen, a king-size bed in a big bedroom with vaulted-ceiling and exposed beams, and a lovely en-suite.

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