Gardeners across the UK are being urged to check their gardens for a rare pink flower.This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
The uncommon flower boasts striking pink and white petals,(Image: Getty)
Gardeners throughout Britain are being encouraged to inspect their outdoor spaces this spring for an uncommon bloom. Specialists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) emphasise that early identification of these flowers is crucial for their conservation and to guarantee this heritage variety continues flourishing in gardens across the nation.
The uncommon flower boasts striking pink and white petals, making it virtually impossible to overlook in any garden setting. By spending just a few moments examining their own plots, homeowners can assist scientists in monitoring the distribution of these flowers throughout Britain.
Why do you need to check your garden?
The horticultural specialists have established an initiative as part of the RHS’s Daffodil Diaries project, which aims to chart gardens and green areas across Britain.
Gardeners being urged to look for one flower in spring(Image: Getty)
This uncommon variety is known as Narcissus “Mrs R.O. Backhouse” (named after flower breeder Sarah Backhouse) and is “one of the first pink daffodils, with a solid coral pink trumpet and ivory flowers,” according to the RHS.
“Whilst the daffodil is kept in national collections, its location outside these is mostly unknown. Most sightings reported by gardeners have actually been the ‘Salome’ variety, which starts yellow and turns peach as it matures.”
During the previous year, the project garnered 3,000 submissions and discovered that merely 6% of British daffodil varieties display pink blooms, according to the Telegraph.
The organisation is encouraging gardeners who discover Mrs R. O. Backhouse daffodils growing in their plots to carefully lift the bulbs once flowering has finished and post them to the RHS research facility at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey.
Guy Barter, the RHS’s chief horticulturist, said: “With 30,000 daffodil varieties … in the UK, telling one from another requires an experienced eye, but this diversity is fundamental to their potential benefit for people and planet, and why it’s so important we celebrate and preserve them.
The flowers are said to be pink and white(Image: Getty)
“Rare daffodils were spotted across the country [in 2025] and raising them in one location next year will enable us to confirm some of them as the rare varieties we have been searching for and, potentially, find others thought to be in decline.”
Additional varieties worth seeking
Another uncommon specimen is Narcissus “Mrs William Copeland,” featuring white, double blooms. The flower takes its name from the plant breeder’s spouse, WFM Copeland.
Green-fingered enthusiasts should also keep their eyes peeled for Narcissus “Sussex Bonfire.” This striking double-flowered variety showcases yellow and orange petals and was developed by Noel Burr.
The Sussex Bonfire “has never been located, and Plant Heritage’s Sussex Group would be delighted to add this to their shared National Plant Collection of daffodils,” the RHS confirmed.
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