Most color transformations involve the corona. But in N. Croesus, the petals change too.

The flower starts out pale-yellow, with a rich orange cup. But soon, the petals fade to greenish-white, and an orange band forms at the rim of the cup. At different stages, one might not recognize it.

Croesus was named after King Croesus of Lydia, famous for minting the world’s first gold coins. The coins were made of electrum, a naturally-occurring alloy of gold and silver. The metal is pale-yellow in color, just like the flower (Humphreys 27).

At one point, Croesus was worth its weight in electrum. Mr. A. M. Wilson purchased eight bulbs in 1909 for £100. That’s over $300 per bulb in today’s money. However, Mr. Wilson generated a hefty profit, approximately equal to $47,000, before no longer growing it (Wilson 21).

Croesus was first raised by John Charles Williams, who registered 31 daffodils. His last was Crescendo in 1945, and many of his cultivars are still around.

For historic collectors… Croesus!