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Daffodils

A haiku to save the flowers

By Susan Fourtané Published 9 months ago Updated 9 months ago 2 min read
Live daffodils - photo by Susan Fourtané

🌼🌼🌼

Yellow daffodils,

What are you all telling me?

Please, do not kill us!

🌼🌼🌼

🌼 On the lifespan of daffodils

Be mindful. Cutting daffodils kills the flowers, reducing their lifespan

Garden daffodils, as any other flowers, have different lifespans due to the environmental factors. When you cut a flower, you reduce its lifespan and affect the whole ecosystem.

Every flower counts.

Garden daffodils and cut daffodils have very different life spans due to environmental factors.

Garden Daffodils (in the ground)

The bloom duration of each daffodil flower typically lasts 8 to 14 days, depending on weather (cooler weather extends bloom time).

If we consider plant life, the bulb can live for many, many years, between five to 10 years or more; the plant will rebloom annually if conditions are right.

Now, let’s talk about the seasonal cycle; after blooming in spring, the leaves remain for six to eight weeks to photosynthesise and recharge the bulb for next year. Cutting these leaves interferes with the process.

Every leaf counts.

But, what happens when you cut daffodils and put the dead flowers in a vase?

Once cut and put in a vase, the bloom duration of daffodils generally lasts for only four to five days in the best case scenarios.

So, in short:

Garden daffodil flowers: live one to two weeks of happy life, letting bees do the pollination and getting all the nectar they need to survive.

Every bee counts.

Cut daffodils, on the other hand: this means four days keeping dead daffodils in a vase, a selfish act that is more destructive than many people think.

Bulb life (in garden): potentially active for a decade or more, with yearly blooms, serving the bees and giving joy to everyone whilst remaining alive, feeding from the soil.

If you are truly mindful and truly care for nature, you should never cut daffodils (or any other flower), every flower counts.It’s better and more respectful towards nature to enjoy daffodils in the gardens.

You could even plant daffodil bulbs in nice large pots if you want to bring some flowers inside the house without killing them. You could paint the flowerpots yourself if you feel artistic.

There is no need to cut and kill the flowers. Be mindful.

By Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Haikuinspirationalnature poetry

About the Creator

Susan Fourtané

Susan Fourtané is a Science and Technology Journalist, a professional writer with over 18 years experience writing for global media and industry publications. She's a member of the ABSW, WFSJ, Society of Authors, and London Press Club.

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Comments (14)

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  • L.C. Schäfer9 months ago

    I don't like any cut flowers, tbh. Oh yes please give me a dying/dead plant to look at and dispose of 😬 Well done on placing on the leaderboard btw 😁

  • Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

  • Mother Combs9 months ago

    Bravo!! on both the haiku and the advice.

  • Marilyn Glover9 months ago

    Beautiful haiku and excellent advice! I love daffodils!

  • Caroline Craven9 months ago

    Thought your haiku was lovely. My mum always taught us not to pick flowers as kids so we didn’t take away the joy for someone else.

  • Natasha Collazo9 months ago

    Beautiful haiku to with power of change! Just in time for earth day 🌎

  • Lilly Cooper9 months ago

    I rarely have cut flowers due to the cost and limited budgets. But that is food for thought. I don't pick flowers from my garden and I purposely plant flowering plants. We have so many bees in our garden! 😊

  • C. Rommial Butler9 months ago

    Well-wrought! I must admit I am guilty of having done this, and wish I had encountered your sage advice before. Next time I see daffodils bloom around here, I'll leave them for the bees!

  • Wish we could have some of these here in Singapore, Susan. A lovely, fresh poem and sentiment.

  • Maryam Batool9 months ago

    Ahhhh! I feel sad now. never saw it your wayyy... I always pluck a flower from our garden, just like a normal-intentional act...! So, I'll be mindful from now, Thank you for this 💗💗

  • Nikita Angel9 months ago

    Nice

  • Something to think about when you give someone a bunch of flowers, excellent words

  • This was so sad. I never knew any of this. Loved your Haiku!

  • Sandy Gillman9 months ago

    Interesting, I didn't know this about daffodils. I've never liked cutting flowers anyway. I always find it depressing when they die!

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