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How to Grow Daffodil Flowers: The Complete Guide

yellow jetfire daffodil flowers in the spring

Yellow daffodils, ‘Jetfire’ Narcissus, in flower in early spring

Photo Credit
Alex Manders/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Narcissus spp.
Plant Type
Flowers
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Flower Color
Orange
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Planting, Growing, and Caring for Daffodils

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Nothing heralds spring like the cheerful daffodil! These sunshine-yellow flowers emerge at winter’s end to lift our spirits. Plus, daffodils are deer- and rodent-resistant bulbs (unlike tulips)! Learn more about how and when to plant daffodils—and the delightful variety of choices, from the classic yellow to mini daffodils.

About Daffodils

Daffodils are hardy perennials that come back year after year, spreading and often naturalizing. They are fall-planted bulbs usually planted in October, and the flowers bloom in late winter or early spring. (They are the March birth flower, after all!) Most daffodils grow easily in most regions of North America, except in the hottest, wettest areas, such as South Florida.

There are thousands of daffodil varieties. The traditional daffodil flower may be a showy yellow or white, with six petals and a trumpet-shaped central corona. Still, many cultivated varieties (“cultivars”) exist today if you fancy experimenting with a more exotic double, frilled, or bicolor narcissus.

Daffodils are suitable for planting between shrubs, on a border, or even in pots. We especially love daffodils in a woodland garden and large groves. You’ll find that many gardeners plant the bulbs not just by the dozens but by the hundreds! Daffodil flowers can also be forced inside to add cheer to the winter months, making great springtime cut flowers.

Choosing Daffodil Bulbs

Select high-quality daffodil bulbs that have not been dried out. The larger the bulb, the better.

DutchGrown™ bulbs are of the highest quality, ensuring optimum performance. You probably haven’t seen daffodils bigger than their top-sized daffodil bulbs. See where to buy daffodil bulbs.

Read Next

Planting

Daffodils do best in full sun, though they will grow in partial shade. They’re generally not picky about soil, but good drainage is vital as they are susceptible to rot when kept too wet. Hillsides and raised beds work well. Otherwise, improve clay soil by amending it (12 inches deep) with organic material such as well-rotted compost.

When to Plant Daffodil Bulbs

  • Plant daffodil bulbs in the fall—at least 2 to 4 weeks before the ground freezes. See local frost dates.

How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs

  • Plant the bulb with the top (pointy end) set about two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. For example, the top of a 2-inch bulb should be about 4 inches in the ground, while a 3-inch bulb should be planted 5 to 6 inches deep.
  • Where winters are severe, make sure there are at least 3 inches of soil covering the bulb.
  • Daffodils will tolerate crowding, but they prefer to be placed about 3 to 6 inches apart.
  • It may help to sprinkle a little bulb fertilizer in the hole during planting. Learn more about preparing soil for planting.
  • Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. You can loosen mulch, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds in early spring.
  • Daffodils contain oxalic acid—a substance that makes them unpalatable to most rodent pests. However, if yours are being bothered, consider adding sharp pieces of shells or a pelleted rodent deterrent into and around each planting hole.

Growing

  • Apply a low-nitrogen, high-potash (potassium) fertilizer after flowering if bulbs are not performing as desired. Learn more about preparing the soil for planting and soil amendments.
  • Water late-flowering daffodils in dry spring weather (flowers may abort in dry conditions).
  • Lift and divide the clumps when flowering becomes sparse or the clumps congested.

After Daffodils Bloom

  • After the flowers fade, you can deadhead (pinch off) the faded flowers.
  • However, do NOT remove the leaves until they turn yellow. Daffodils use their leaves to store energy in the bulbs for next year’s flower. The plant continues to absorb nutrients for about 6 weeks after the flowers have faded. If you cut or mow them back too early, they will not bloom next year.
  • Keep watering the plants even if the blooms have faded.
  • Once the leaves have yellowed and died back naturally, you can snip off the dead leaves at the base (or pull lightly while twisting the leaves). You can also mow the area without worry.
  • Once daffodils (and tulips) have gone by, add bone meal to the soil for next year’s blooms.

If the dying leaves offend your sensibility, plant other bulbs, such as daffodils, daylilies, or true lilies, in the same area so they hide the fading foliage.

Types

According to the American Daffodil Society, there are 13 official daffodil flower types and more than 25,000 named cultivars!

Whatever variety you choose, the most important tip is: Get the best quality bulbs for the best flowers. The bigger the bulbs, the better. Look for top-size bulbs, the biggest bulbs on the market. 

  • ‘Dutch Master’ is the classic daffodil—big and yellow with a very large cup and oversized trumpets. They bloom early, naturalize easily, and are great for planting in masses.

dutch master daffodil grove

  • ‘Barrett Browning’ is the recognizable pure white daffodil with a bright orange trumpet surrounded by a golden halo. They bloom early, naturalize easily, and do well in warmer climates, too.

white daffodils with yellow centers, barett browning cultivar

  • ’Tahiti’ is a stunner with layers of rounded, golden yellow petals interspersed with frilly, red-orange accents. They bloom mid to late season, last longer, and make an excellent cut flower.

tahiti daffodil flowers

  • ‘Tete a Tete’ is an adorable mini daffodil that flowers early and blooms for weeks as one of the most long-blooming varieties. Ideal for flower beds and containers and naturalizes with ease.

Tete a Tete mini daffodils

  • ‘Jetfire’ is another mini daffodil with bright orange cups and swept-back yellow petals. It blooms in early spring, is very long-lasting, and doesn’t flop over.

Jetfire mini daffofil flowers

  • ‘Petit Four’ is a good choice for a partially shady site. The flower has white petals with a double cup of apricot pink and grows 16 inches tall.
  • ‘Cheerfulness’ bears double flowers and multiple blooms per stem; this daffodil is very fragrant with a lovely gardenia-like scent. Blooms in late spring and makes an excellent cut flower.
  • ‘Thalia’ is an all-white daffodil, making it wonderful for moon gardens. Learn about 20 pure white flowers to include in your garden.

See plenty more varieties here!

Harvesting

  • When cutting daffodils, keeping these flowers in their own vase is best, as their stems secrete a fluid that promotes the wilting of other flowers. If you must combine them, soak them by themselves for as long as possible, then rinse them and add them to the arrangement last. Learn more about keeping cut flowers fresh.
  • Note that contact with the sap of daffodils may irritate skin or aggravate skin allergies.

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

  • Daffodils are both deer-resistant and rodent-proof, as these animals do not like the taste of the bulbs in the Narcissus family.
  • Daffodils can also be toxic to pets, so make sure your animals don’t munch on them.
  • The most common problems include large narcissus bulb fly, bulb scale mites, narcissus nematode, slugs, narcissus basal rot, and other fungal infections and viruses.

Wit and Wisdom

Here’s some daffodil-themed prose to brighten your day:

“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

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

Of Spring Weather:
Chillier, but daffodillier.
–The 1991 Old Farmer’s Almanac

Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Shil</span> Fri, 04/11/2014 - 14:58
I am a newbie gardener and wanted to try my hand at bulbs last year. I managed to get my tulips and hyacinths in the ground, but forgot about the daffodils. The daffodils were in my garage all winter and would have been exposed to extreme cold as I live in zone 6. Some of the bulbs seem to have sprouted. Do you think they will still bloom this year if I plant them at this late stage. Do they have a better chance if I plant them in indoor plants? Or should I just throw them away? Any advice would be appreciated!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 04/15/2014 - 10:37

Plant any bulbs that look healthy in the ground or in containers. If the bulbs are mushy put them in your compost pile.

 <span>Connie Light</span> Thu, 04/10/2014 - 13:20
I have double daffodils that put on bloom pods and they dry up before opening. What am I doing wrong? Plants are over 12 years old.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 04/10/2014 - 14:48

Weather can cause buds to freeze and turn brown. If the daffodils where hit by really cold weather after they just started to show growth the buds may have frozen. Overcrowding can cause buds to dry up. If you haven't divided your bulbs the last few years you may want to dig them up and replant them this fall.

 <span>Julie Mose</span> Thu, 04/03/2014 - 10:29
i want to know how late you can get daffodils
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sun, 04/06/2014 - 07:47

Daffodil bulbs should be planted in the fall 6 weeks before hard frosts. Nighttime temperatures should be in the 40- to 50-degree range. That's usually September or October in the north and December or later in the south.

If you forgot to plant bulbs, we'd still put them in the ground. They do not last in the way that seeds do. So, if it is February or March, plant them and take your chances.

 <span>Jessie Cano</span> Mon, 03/31/2014 - 20:10
MY GRAND BABIES AND I PLANTED DAFFODILS AND TULIPS LAST NOVEMBER AND THEY HAVE SPRUNG UP AND BLOSSOMED WELL. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT ALOT OF THE DAFFODILS FLOWERS ARE STARTING TO WILT AND DIE. DO THEY ONLY BLOOM ONCE PER SEASON?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 04/02/2014 - 10:38

Hi Jessie, Congrats on your blooming daffodils! Yes, the lovely daffodil blooms once a year. It heralds spring and then it's gone until next year.

You can mix in certain varieties that last longer. You could also mix up varieties so that you have some early-, mid-, and late-bloomers. Ask your garden center for varieties that fit your region.

 <span>Kathleen Boyle</span> Sun, 03/23/2014 - 10:27
I live in Dallas, TX, and bought several indoor pots of daffodils that were blooming. they have finished and the leaves are dying back. Do I keep watering them? I know enough to let the leaves die all the way back then cut them off. I want to plant them in the yard for next year. Do I leave them in the pots now then take them out and store in the frig for 6 to8 weeks and plant them in the fall? I am very confused about what to do now. Please help, I don't want to lose them. Thank you for your help
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/24/2014 - 17:34

If your ground freezes in the winter you can just plant the bulbs in the garden and they will come up next spring. A cold treatment—natural or induced—is needed for flower buds to develop.