Beautiful, Dependable Daffodils

Next to tulips, daffodils are probably the second most beloved of the spring bulbs, the proverbial runner up in spring’s popularity contest. They do not have the broad colour range of the tulips – which offer nearly every colour under the rainbow – but daffodils do their best with the colours given to them: white, cream, yellow, orange, peach, pink, and green.

Narcissus ‘Tricollet’ is a startling split corona daffodil with pure white tepals and an orange corona that looks like a three-bladed propellor.

Narcissus ‘Starlight Sensation’ has creamy white flowers with 3-5 flowering stems per bulb and 2-4 flowers per stem plus a lovely fruity fragrance. 

Narcissus ‘Sinopel’ has flat, ivory flowers maturing to creamy yellow and a shallow cup that changes from yellow in cool weather to green as temperatures warm.

Despite their more limited colour palette, daffodils have a few things that tulips don’t. The genus Narcissus, which hails from the Mediterranean with a centre of diversity in Spain and Portugal, offers a range of flower forms which are variations on the central, tubular corona surrounded by six petals. The corona could be large or small, flared or narrow and tubular, whole or split, single or bicoloured, and in all cases variously ruffled and taking on any of the colours available to daffodils. The petals can be broad and overlapping or narrow, mostly flat or twisted, large or tiny, flared out at a 90 degree angle to the corona or reflexed backwards, and appear in shades of white, cream, yellow, and, occasionally, bicolours.

Narcissus ‘Sorbet’ is a startling split corona daffodil with pure white tepals and an alternating yellow and orange corona that looks like a spinning propellor.

Narcissus ‘Precocious’ is a big beautiful daffodil with pure white, rounded petals and a large, ruffled, split corona in glowing salmon pink.

Narcissus ‘Trepolo’ is a dramatic daffodil with white petals and a split corona showing colours of white, yellow and deep orange like a ruffled star.

While tulips are boisterous and colourful, daffodils are mostly demure, understated, elegant, and sophisticated. They add charm to containers or gardens. They are also often fragrant. In the garden, daffodils are easy-to-grow, dependable, and are great performers. Planted in a sunny location their clumps will bulk up over time into stunning spring displays in garden beds or naturalized in fields or on slopes.

We are very pleased to offer more than 30 different species and cultivars of Narcissus each year for pre-ordering through the summer and fall for pick-up or shipping in late September and early October. Shop on our online store today! Should supplies last, we may also have them available potted up in early spring for in-person purchases.

Narcissus bulbocodium ‘Oxford Gold’ is a hoop petticoat daffodil with unique golden yellow flowers with a large corona and reduced tepals.

Narcissus cyclamineus ‘Prototype’ is a small daffodil with a long, peachy pink corona and creamy yellow reflexed petals.

Narcissus cantabricus is a winter or early spring bloomer with large, snow white, petticoat flowers.