Actaea poetica narcissus (Narcissus ‘Actaea’) is one of the best known of the cultivars derived from Narcissus poeticus. Pure-white glistening petals, slightly overlapped, are centered by a small yellow cup with a red rim. This cultivar is reliably hardy in the Chicago area if planted in well-drained, moist soil in full sun or light shade. It usually flowers in mid- to late spring (mid-May to the beginning of June in the Chicago region). Narcissus, like almost all bulbs, produces the energy needed to create next year’s flowers before going dormant. If the leaves are plaited, tied in knots, twisted into a ponytail, or cut off before they yellow, they will probably not flower the following year. These actions all interfere with the translocation of nutrients from the leaves to the developing flower in the bulb. To hide the untidy yellowing foliage, interplant daffodils and narcissus with perennials like daylilies or hostas, which start to grow about the same time that narcissus go dormant.