Purdue University
Consumer Horticulture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
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Purdue University
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Yard and Garden News | |
Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist
Released 02 April 1999
What better way to celebrate the new season than a splash of bright, cheery daffodils, as their trumpets proclaim that spring has indeed sprung? There are daffodils that flower as early as February and some as late as May.
Daffodils are hardy, versatile and reliable performers throughout the Midwest. Nearly every gardener knows a daffodil when they see one, but did you know there are 12 types of daffodils? Well, more correctly, there are 12 types of Narcissus, the scientific name for the plants that we call daffodils. They include such diverse types as the common trumpet, small-cupped, double-flowered and the miniatures. Colors range from the traditional bright golden yellow, lemon yellow, ivory, snow white, orange, pink and red.
Although most gardeners find their daffodils to be relatively trouble-free, they are frustrated that the foliage lasts for so long after the blooms have faded. It is important to allow the bulb foliage to grow for as long a time as possible, at least six weeks after bloom, before removing the leaves. It is this foliage that is making the food reserves that will be transferred to the bulb for storage, ensuring a great display next year. Better still, interplant cool-season annuals or other perennials among your daffodils to provide some camouflage for the aging daffodil leaves. Then you won't be tempted to cut them off too soon. Do not tie or bend the foliage, as this just decreases exposure to light and thus reduces their ability to make food reserves.
Once they are established, daffodils generally thrive for many years and often spread to produce larger clumps by producing small offset bulbs. These new bulbs need to grow for several years before they are mature enough to produce blooms.
If the planting gets too crowded, the clumps can be lifted as the foliage fades, divided into smaller clumps and replanted. It is not very practical to store the bulbs in the average home environment, but if you can't get them replanted immediately, store them dry and cool, between 60 and 65 F, until they can be planted.
According to the Netherlands Bulb Institute, the top 10 selling varieties of daffodils are:
Variety Color Type
1. Narcissus 'King Alfred' yellow w/ yellow cup Trumpet
2. Narcissus 'Salome' white-pink w/ yellow cup Large-Cupped
3. Narcissus 'Ice Follies' white w/ white cup Large-Cupped
4. Narcissus 'Tête à Tête' yellow w/ yellow cup Cyclamineus
5. Narcissus 'Minnow' yellow w/ yellow cup Tazetta
6. Narcissus 'Fortissimo' white w/ yellow cup Trumpet
7. Narcissus 'Tahiti' yellow w/ red cup Double
8. Narcissus 'Las Vegas' white w/ yellow cup Trumpet
9. Narcissus 'Barret Browning' white w/ oranges cup Small-cupped
10. Narcissus 'Mount Hood' white w/ white cup Trumpet
Last updated: 10 April 2006
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