Daffodils: Complete Guide to Planting, Growing, and Caring for Narcissus

A closer look at a daffodil.

Annette McCarthy

Where to buy daffodil bulbs: Burpee Gardening

Sunny, yellow daffodils are a joyous sign that spring has arrived! Plant bulbs in fall for late winter to early spring blooms. These hardy, easy perennials thrive across most of North America, except Southern Florida.

Attractive flowers typically feature showy yellow or white petals (six per bloom) surrounding a trumpet-shaped central corona. Leafless stems bear 1–20 flowers; taller varieties may need staking to support the weight.

Daffodils excel between shrubs, in borders, forced indoors, in woodland gardens, and in large drifts. Many gardeners plant not by dozens but by hundreds! They're also superb cut flowers.

Planting Daffodils

Choose a site with full sun or part shade. Most tolerate various soils but prefer moderately fertile, well-drained soil that stays moist during growth. Many popular types favor neutral to acidic soils; some prefer slightly alkaline conditions—consult your nursery.

• Select high-quality, plump bulbs that haven't dried out. Larger bulbs yield better results.
• Plant in fall—2–4 weeks before ground freezes. Check local planting dates for fall bulbs.
• Plant at a depth 1½ to 5 times the bulb's height. In severe winters, ensure at least 3 inches of soil cover.
• Space 3–6 inches apart. They tolerate some crowding but prefer breathing room.
• Add a little bulb fertilizer in the planting hole if desired.
• Don't uncover spring-flowering bulbs prematurely. You can loosen mulch, but shoots benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.
• See more bulb-growing tips.

Care and Maintenance

• Apply low-nitrogen, high-potash fertilizer after flowering if bulbs underperform.
• Water late-blooming types in dry springs (flowers may abort in drought).
• Deadhead faded flowers for neatness, but leave foliage for at least 6 weeks.
• Lift and divide clumps when flowering declines or congestion occurs.
• After spring bloom, let plants grow until they die back naturally. They need this time to store energy for next year.
• Remove dead foliage by snipping at the base or gently twisting and pulling.
• After daffodils and tulips finish, add bonemeal to soil for next year's blooms.

Pests and Diseases

Daffodils are deer-resistant and rodent-proof—animals dislike the taste of Narcissus-family bulbs. However, they're poisonous to pets, so prevent access.

Common issues: large narcissus bulb fly, bulb scale mite, narcissus nematode, slugs, basal rot and other fungal infections, and viruses.

Recommended Varieties

• 'Golden Ducat' — double daffodil with pure yellow petals, mid-to-late season, 12–16 inches tall.
• 'Petit Four' — ideal for partial shade; white petals with double apricot-pink cup, 16 inches tall.
• 'Rip van Winkle' — miniature double daffodil, 6–8 inches, spectacular in mass plantings.

Wit & Wisdom

Chillier, but daffodillier.
—The Old Farmer's Almanac, 1991

Daffodowndilly
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
"Winter is dead."
—A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

• Tip: Keep cut daffodils alone in a vase—their stems secrete a fluid that wilts other flowers. If combining, soak separately as long as possible, then rinse and add last.
• Note: Daffodil sap may irritate skin or aggravate allergies.
• Daffodils are a March birth flower.
• Daffodils symbolize regard. Discover more flower meanings.

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.
—William Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
—William Wordsworth, I Wander'd Lonely as a Cloud