Daffodils (Narcissus) are perennial bulbs that are planted in autumn and flower from March to May, depending on where you live. They are hardy, come back year after year and often multiply over time. What they need is sun or partial shade, soil that does not stay wet, and bulbs in the ground in September or October, about 15 cm deep.
Plant in September or October
Daffodils need time to make roots before the ground freezes. Plant as soon as the bulbs arrive, or keep them somewhere cool, dark and dry. You can keep planting until a week or so before the ground freezes, but there is no reason to wait. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) states that bulbs planted after mid-November flower less well, and that advice is written for the British climate, where the ground freezes later than in the colder parts of northern Europe.
Choose the spot: sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. Wet soil raises the risk of basal rot, a fungal disease that attacks the bulb from the base.
Dig 15 cm deep: the rule of thumb is three times the height of the bulb, which for our bulbs comes to about 15 cm.
Point the tip upwards: leave about 10 cm between bulbs and plant them in groups, not in rows.
Water: water thoroughly after planting.
The size we give, for example 12/14, is the circumference of the bulb in centimetres.
Thirteen divisions to tell apart
All daffodil cultivars are sorted into 13 divisions under the international classification maintained by the RHS. The system is based mainly on the shape of the flower: the length of the corona compared with the petals (the perianth segments) and the number of flowers per stem. Our varieties belong to five of them.
1 Trumpet: one flower per stem and a corona at least as long as the petals. This is the shape most people picture as the classic daffodil.
2 Large-cupped: one flower per stem and a corona longer than a third of the petals but shorter than them.
4 Double: extra petals in the corona, among the perianth segments or both. One or more flowers per stem.
5 Triandrus: two or more nodding flowers with swept-back petals.
8 Tazetta: 3-20 flowers per stem, usually scented.
Our 13 varieties side by side
Division and flowering time come from DaffSeek, the cultivar database of the American Daffodil Society. Flowering time is relative to other daffodils, and the heights are our own figures.
| Variety | Division | Flowers | Height | Scent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Story | 4 Double | Early to mid | 40-49 cm | Not notable |
| British Gamble | 1 Trumpet | Midseason | 40-49 cm | Strong |
| Arctic Power | 2 Large-cupped | Midseason | 30-39 cm | Not notable |
| Ice King | 4 Double | Midseason | 30-39 cm | Not notable |
| Bridal Crown | 4 Double | Midseason | 30-39 cm | Strong |
| Romantic Paradise | 4 Double | Midseason | 40-49 cm | Yes |
| Minnow | 8 Tazetta | Midseason | 15-29 cm | Yes |
| Cheerfulness | 4 Double | Mid to late | 30-39 cm | Strong |
| Geranium | 8 Tazetta | Mid to late | 30-39 cm | Yes |
| Thalia | 5 Triandrus | Mid to late | 45-55 cm | Yes |
| Salome | 2 Large-cupped | Late | 30-49 cm | Not notable |
| Pom Pom Rose | 4 Double | Late | 40-49 cm | Yes |
| Sir Winston Churchill | 4 Double | Late | 30-49 cm | Strong |
British Gamble has long been one of our favourites. Arctic Power is the newest in the table, registered in 2025, and Anna Kubel on our team has grown it both in open ground and in terracotta pots. Six of the varieties, 33 bulbs in total, come in the Narcissus Favourites bulb kit. You will find every variety among our daffodil bulbs.
Choose by scent or flowering time
If you want scent, varieties with several flowers per stem are the safest choice. The tazettas Geranium and Minnow are scented, and three of the doubles are sports, or bud mutations, of tazettas. Cheerfulness comes from Elvira, Bridal Crown from L'Innocence and Sir Winston Churchill from Geranium. All three carry clusters, Cheerfulness with 3-4 flowers per stem, and DaffSeek describes them as strongly scented. The exception is British Gamble, which has a single flower per stem but an equally strong scent.
If you want flowers for as long as possible, choose four varieties, one from each part of the table: My Story first, Bridal Crown or British Gamble in midseason, Geranium or Thalia after that, and Salome or Sir Winston Churchill last.
Why deer leave daffodils alone
Daffodils contain alkaloids, among them lycorine, which in 1877 became the first alkaloid isolated from the genus. Levels are highest in the bulb, but the leaves contain them too. The alkaloids are seen as a defence for the plant, and deer notice. In the RHS overview of deer damage, daffodils are among the plants at low risk, while crocuses are among the most vulnerable and tulips are often grazed hard.
Against voles the protection is less certain. Voles usually leave daffodil bulbs alone, but in years when voles are numerous, gnawing damage happens to daffodils too. If the problem is serious, you can plant in mesh baskets.
For people, daffodils count as mildly toxic. According to poison information services, the irritant substances sit mainly in the bulb, and the most common symptoms are nausea and vomiting. Water from the vase can also cause stomach upset. Poisoning most often happens when someone eats a bulb, sometimes because it has been mistaken for an onion. So store daffodil bulbs separately until you plant them.
Daffodils in the lawn
Daffodils can be planted straight into the lawn. Cut a flap of turf with a spade, dig 15 cm deep, set the bulbs in and lay the turf back. The RHS advises short varieties for closely mown grass and taller ones where the grass is left to grow like a meadow. Of our varieties, the miniature daffodil Minnow, 15-29 cm, suits a lawn best, while Salome and British Gamble do better in long grass.
The leaves must stay for at least six weeks after flowering. If the daffodils finish flowering at the end of April, that part of the lawn can be mown around 10 June at the earliest. So choose a corner or an edge. In grass, the seed heads can be left on so that the daffodils seed themselves. They combine well with crocuses, which flower before the daffodils.
After flowering
Deadhead: snap off the faded flower together with the seed pod, so the energy goes to the bulb instead of into making seed.
Leave the foliage: let it stand until it has turned yellow, about six weeks after flowering. Do not knot or tie the leaves, because they then do their job less well.
Water in dry spells: a dry May or June makes the leaves die back early.
Feed pots with potash: a liquid feed high in potassium, such as tomato feed, every week or every other week until the leaves start to yellow.
Divide congested clumps: lift them in summer once the leaves have died back, divide them and replant 15 cm deep and 10 cm apart.
The same rule applies to tulips, but daffodils are more reliable and flower year after year.
Blind bulbs and other common mistakes
A daffodil that produces only leaves is called blind. The cause nearly always lies in the previous year, because the bulb builds next year's flower bud from the food made by the leaves. Here are five causes you can do something about.
The leaves were removed too early: if they are cut or mown within six weeks of flowering, the bulb has no time to store food.
The bulbs are too shallow: they then split into many small bulbs that are too small to flower. Lift them and replant 15 cm deep.
The clump has become too dense: after a few years the bulbs compete with each other. Divide them.
Drought after flowering: the leaves die back before the bulb has had time to fill up. Water during dry weeks in May and June.
Late planting: bulbs that go into the ground after mid-November have a weaker first spring.
Author: Emma Vogiatzi
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2026-10-19