Daffodil 'White Ideal'

I had a Daffodil variety that I had purchased years ago -- a white, true trumpet daffodil -- called 'White Ideal.' I thought it the most beautiful white daffodil I ever saw. Unfortunately, my clump -- a small one -- was destroyed when moving it was attempted, and I've not been able to find a source since. I don't even remember where I originally ordered it from (it would have been well over ten years ago; possibly 15), but it seems it is not available anywhere! A google search brought me to Martha Stewart's website -- apparently she's an admirer of this variety as well -- but the photo is missing and no sources are listed (see link below).

http://www.marthastewart.com/plant/narcissus-white-ideal

I have one poor photo, which I'll attach, depicting the flower from not-the-best angle in order to show a white spider that made it's home there in order to ambush bees!

Any information would be appreciated!

http://daffseek.org/query/query-detail.php?value1=White%20Ideal&lastpage=1 Here is your narcissus, but no source listed. Good luck Patti

I went on to Martha Stewart's web site and e-mailed her on the ask Martha a question section. I will let you know as soon as I hear from her. I would like to order some of these as well.
Is it sort of like the "Thalia" narcissus?
Angela

Thanks both of you!

Patti, that's a GREAT website. Thanks for introducing me to it.

Angela, do let me know what 'Martha' says. With regards to 'Thalia', I have a ton of 'Thalia' planted about (it's a very good multiplier for me). It is a very pretty flower. 'White Ideal' is very different. 'Thalia' often blooms double for me, and the corollas are not that long, whereas 'White Ideal' has a LONG trumpet, is one flower only, and is very large. The only white trumpet generally available, for some reason, is 'Mt. Hood', which I find not worth growing. It's substance is thin and it ages rather quickly, whereas 'White Ideal' is thick in substance and lasts a long time. It looks carved out of alabaster. Really, anyone growing this daffodil would never consider 'Mt. Hood' again. I hope 'Martha' can provide a source!

Daffseek is the best. I like this one,N. Beersheba that I got from Old House Garden 2007. Good luck with the hunt. Patti

That's a very pretty white, Patti. I remember seeing 'Beersheba' in catalogues. Another nice variety I haven't seen offered in awhile.

Another one I have and like is N.Empress Ireland. I got it in 2008 from McClure and Zimmerman. It is stunning. Patti

This one is called Silent Valley and was bought through Van Engelen.

Hey Patti - thanks for the follow-up posts and photos. Very nice. I checked out both varieties and sources -- but no luck. I remember a time when 'Empress of Ireland' was the standard for really fine whites,and I had thought, in my search for 'White Ideal', to try to find that one as well. It seems hard to find now. I did find a variety called 'Oregon Snow' at Van Engelen, which lists 'Empress of Ireland' as one of the parents, but one has to buy 50 bulbs!

Your 'Silent Valley' is pretty too. It doesn't have the ruffled rim, but it does looks elegant, as the quote says. I like the long trumpet on it.

I guess one must "buy them when you see them," as it seems, unless the variety is a commonly known and grown heirloom, it is dropped fairly quickly from the bulb market and catalogues.

I have called some of these numbers and looked at some of the websites, but haven't had any luck yet. Maybe this will help you. Martha Stewart's assistants were on the spot as this was e-mail early this morning. Let me know what you find out.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

We appreciate your interest in The Martha Stewart Show.


SEED AND PLANT SOURCES

Allium bulbs, The Daffodil Mart, 30 Irene Street, Torrington, CT
06790; 800-255-2852. Catalog available. Van Engelen Bulbs, 23 Tulip
Drive, Bantam, CT 06750; 860-567-8734. Catalog available. Longwood
Gardens, Route 1, Kennett Square, PA 19348-0501; 610-388-1000.

Amaryllis bulbs, Van Engelen Bulbs, 23 Tulip Drive, Bantam, CT
06750; 860-567-8734. Free catalog available. John Scheepers;
860-567-0838. Free catalog available. Daffodil Mart, 7463 Heath Trail,
Gloucester, VA 23061; 804-693-3966 or 800-255-2852. Free catalog
available.

Johnny's Selected Seeds, 1 Foss Hill Road, RR 1 Box 2580, Albion,
ME 04910-9731; 207-437-4301 or E-mail: homegarden@johnnyseeds.com.

White Flower Farm, P O Box 50, Litchfield, CT 06759; 800-503-9624 or
www.whiteflowerfarm.com. Catalog available.

Daylilies and peonies: Klehm Nursery, 4210 North Duncan Road, Champaign,
IL 61821; 800-553-3715. Catalog $4 (refundable with order).

Dahlia tubers, Dan's Dahlias, 994 South Bank Road, Oakville, WA
98568; 360-482-2607. Garden Valley Dahlias, 406 Lower Garden
Valley Road, Roseburg, OR 97470; 541-673-8521. Swan Island
Dahlias, P O Box 700-I, Canby, Oregon 97013; 800-410-6540 or e-mail:
info@dahlias.com. To become a member of the American Dahlia Society,
contact:Alan A. Fisher, Membership Chairman, The American Dahlia
Society, 1 Rock Falls Court, Rockville, MD 20854; 202-326-3516 or
e-mail: afisher@ftc.gov.

Mesclun seed mixes, The Cook's Garden, P O Box 535, Londonderry, VT
05148; 802-824-3400 or 800-457-9703. Catalog available.

Burpee, 300 Park Avenue, Warminster, PA 18991-0001; 215-674-8233
or 800-888-1447. Catalog available.

Sweet pea seeds, Select Seeds Antique Flowers, 180 Stickney Hill Road,
Union, CT 06076-4617; 860-684-9310. Catalog, $1.

Roses: Wayside Gardens, 1 Garden Lane, Hodges, SC 29695-0001;
800-845-1124. Catalog available. Royall River Roses, P O Box 370,
Yarmouth, ME 04096; 207-846-0800 or e-mail: roses@cybertours.com.
Catalog, $3. Pickering Nurseries, 670 Kingston Road, Pickering,
Ontario L1V 1A6; 905-839-2111.

Sincerely,

MSLO Customer Relations
marthastewart.com
mslletters@marthastewart.com

Thanks, AngelDawn, for posting their reply.

I will post any results I have with these and any other sites I find. Also, any other white Daffodils which look especially promising!

I like a good challenge as much as the next guy. I came across some images from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I e-mailed them for any information. This is the response I received:

Hello

Narcissus 'White Ideal' seems to have disappeared from our collection. We have no source information. Sorry.

Thank you for visiting Gardeninghelp.
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Information (jas)

This is becoming quite the story!

I've read that the truest, whitest white now is Mount Hood daffodils.

JWWC, great post! Thanks for trying. I don't want to give up on the search either!

angedawn47, Mt. Hood is an heirloom daffodil, which in most catalogues is the only white trumpet available. I have grown that one. The substance, compared to 'White Ideal' and most other, more modern hybrids, is thin and the flowers don't last that long. Also, the flowers, at least in my neck of the woods, are often 'rough' appearing, meaning the petals, rather than being smooth and thick, are bumpy and thin. It also can open more cream colored, especially the tumpet, and then ages to white.

Really? I have tried to find White Ideal and haven't been able to. I wonder if I should contact Martha Stewart again. They need to update their list anyway since some of those businesses are no longer.

Angedawn, it's interesting -- Mt. Hood may do well in other areas, but in mine (in Northern PA), I haven't found it to be as attractive as it might perhaps, be in other places. These plants do seem to be affected by regional differences as well as differences from year to year in weather conditions. Some daffodil sellers will even put in the disclaimer "in a normal year" or "in most years" when describing intensity of color.

Yes, White Ideal seems to have fallen off the boards in terms of offerings in US catalogues. A shame, as it was really exceptional. At least one-and-a-half times the size of Mt. Hood as well.

IF I find it anywhere, I will definitely share let the other posters here know!

Really. I'm wondering were to order daff and tulip bulbs? Do you think Bluestone Perennials would be good or would you recommend another source?

angedawn, I haven't ordered bulbs from Bluestone, but I have ordered perennials and shrubs from them and generally have been happy. In the past, I've ordered bulbs from all sorts of companies, including Park's Seeds, Dutch Gardens, Van Bourgondien, Jung's, Brent and Becky's, and more. HOWEVER, in looking at the Garden Watchdog section, it seems in this economy that many places have been bought out by other, less responsible and responsive companies. I'd check feedback on these and other companies there.

This year, so far, I have a small order in with McClure & Zimmerman, and a couple of specialty daffodil growers.

Do you mind D-mailing me to let me know those specialty growers?

Sorry for the delay, angedawn. I was away on vacation. The specialy places I ordered from this year are: Mitsch Novelty Daffodils (www.mitschdaffodils.com) and Cherry Creek Daffodils (www.cherrycreekdaffodils.com). Mitsch I've ordered from before and have been happy with. Cherry Creek is new to me. I found it by searching on this site. Good luck!