Growing Guide
 
plant thumbnail

Daffodil (trumpet-flowered cultivars)

Spring-Flowering Bulb

Also known as Trumpet-Flowered Narcissus
Narcissus sp. trumpet flowered cultivars
Amaryllidaceae Family

Flowering in spring, daffodils are reliable, easy to grow, deer-resistant and great for naturalizing. Trumpet-Flowered Daffodils have blooms with flattened outer petals and trumpet shaped cups that flare from their base to a wide, open rim. Flowers come in a wide variety of shades of red, orange, yellow, green, white, and pink.

arrow
arrow
arrow
Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
Prefers moist but well-drained soil.

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 9

Special locations:

  • outdoor containers
  • rock gardens
  • indoors as a houseplant - Bulbs can be forced inside for winter bloom.
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.75 to 2 feet

Spread: 0.25 to 0.6 feet

Bloom time:

  • early spring
  • mid-spring
  • late spring

Depends on variety.

Flower color:

  • red
  • orange
  • yellow
  • green
  • white
  • pink

Foliage color:

  • medium green
  • dark green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: upright

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Blooms borne on erect stems rising above the foliage, usually single but sometimes in clusters.

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • deer resistant
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Product of horticultural selection.
  • fragrant - Some cultivars have sweetly scented blooms.
Special uses:
  • cut flowers - Some varieties are especially long-lasting.
  • naturalistic garden
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Plants the bulbs 5" deep. Divide after flowering or in the fall.

Maintenance and care:
Deadhead the plants to keep appearance tidy. Do not cut back the plants until the foliage begins to fade (about 6 weeks). Apply low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer after blooming if bloom performance was poor.

More growing information: How to Grow Bulbs

Pests:
Narcissus bulb flies
Bulb scale mite
Diseases:
Narcissus nematode
Narcissus basal rot
Narcissus yellow stripe virus
Varieties
‘American Dream’: 1 ½’ tall plants with pale yellow perianths and pink cups.

‘April Love’: 1 ½’ tall plants with pure white blooms.

‘Arctic Gold’: 1 ½’ tall plants with golden yellow blooms.

‘Arkle’: 1 ½’ tall plants with very large yellow blooms.

‘Birthright’: 1 ½’ tall plants with pure white blooms.

‘Bob Minor’: 8” tall plants with golden yellow blooms.

'Brabazon’: 1 ¼’ tall, very early blooming plants with golden yellow blooms.

‘Bravoure’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and elongated white cups.

‘Burntollet’: 1 ½’ tall plants with pure white blooms.

‘Chiloquin’: 1 ½’ tall plants with yellow-green blooms, the cup fading to greenish white with time.

‘Descanso’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and pale yellow cups.

‘Downpatrick’: 1 ½’ tall plants with large blooms, the perianths white and the cups bright yellow.

‘Dutch Master’: 1 ½’ tall plants with large golden yellow blooms.

‘Empress of Ireland’: 1 ½’ tall plants with large, pure white blooms.

‘Gin and Lime’: 1 ¾’ tall plants with large pale yellow blooms, the cups fading to white with time.

‘Golden Vale’: 1 ½’ tall plants with large golden yellow blooms.

‘Honeybird’: 1 ¾’ tall plants with yellow-green blooms, the cup fading to white with time.

‘King Alfred’: 1 ½’ tall plants with showy, large, bright yellow blooms. An all-time classic.

‘Kingscourt’: 1 ½’ tall plants with golden yellow blooms.

‘Lemon Glow’: 1 ½’ tall plants with yellow-green blooms.

‘Little Beauty’: 6” tall plants with cream colored perianths and yellow cups.

‘Mando’: 1 ¼’ tall, very early-blooming plants with golden yellow blooms.

‘Meldrum’: 1 ½’ tall plants with very dark yellow blooms.

‘Mount Hood’: 1 ½’ tall plants with cream-colored blooms.

‘Olympic Gold’: 1 ½’ tall plants with golden yellow blooms.

‘Panache’: 1 ½’ tall plants with large, showy white blooms.

‘Pink Silk’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and pink cups.

‘Preamble’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and bright yellow cups, the cups turning darker yellow with time.

‘Rijneld’s Early Sensation’: 10” to 1’ tall, very early blooming plants with bright yellow blooms.

‘Silent Valley’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and green-eyed white cups.

‘Spellbinder’: 1 ½’ tall plants with yellow-green blooms, the cups fading to white with time, with greenish white rims.

‘Trousseau’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and pale yellow cups, fading to pink tinted cream with time.

‘Vigil’: 1 ½’ tall plants with pure white blooms.

‘Viking’: 1 ½’ tall plants with dark golden yellow blooms.

‘W. P. Milner’: 10’ tall plants with cream colored blooms.