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Daffodil
Narcissus
Daffodil blooms from March through April.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Daffodil
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 1.3 ft tall and 6 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Daffodil
Daffodil is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October across zones 3 to 8. It pays you back the following March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in September.
Comes in 15 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Daffodil
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Every part is poisonous, the bulb most of all; the alkaloid lycorine sickens dogs, cats, horses and people. Handling the sap or bulb can cause a skin rash. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
The same lycorine that makes daffodils poisonous is why deer, rabbits and most pests leave them completely alone. The toxin doubles as the plant's own defense. per NC State
How deep to plant
Sources measure differently: Wisconsin counts soil cover, Clemson counts total depth. They agree in practice, about 6 to 8 in for a standard bulb, deeper in sandy or cold soil. per Wisconsin and Clemson
Let the leaves die back
After bloom, leave the leaves until they yellow and die down, at least about six weeks. They feed the bulb for next year; deadheading spent flowers is fine. per Wisconsin and Clemson
Leave it to naturalize
Leave the bulbs in the ground year-round; they need no lifting and multiply into larger clumps over years. Divide only when a crowded clump stops blooming well. per NC State
Bulb rot in wet soil
Fusarium basal rot rots the bulb from its base up; there is no cure once infected. It thrives in warm, wet soil, so sharp drainage is the main defense. per NC State and Frontiers in Plant Science
Narcissus bulb fly
A bee-mimic hoverfly whose single fat maggot bores into the bulb and hollows the center, so it rots or throws only thin grassy leaves the next year. per NC State
What pairs well with Daffodil
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Bergenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; overlaps, then carries the display into late spring; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Bearded Iris
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Ninebark
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it; a soft color beside the yellow.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
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