Daffodil

Sun

Full sun or partial shade; beneath deciduous trees is suitable if the leaves receive good light through spring.

Water

Keep soil moderately moist during active growth and flowering. Once the foliage dies back, established bulbs usually need no watering; avoid persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained, humus-rich soil that retains some spring moisture; tolerates clay, loam and sandy soil if drainage is adequate.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

0.25-0.5 ft (0.08-0.15 m) per bulb, forming wider clumps over time

Flowers

Early to mid-spring; pale yellow petals with a deeper yellow trumpet, usually one flower per stem.

Foliage

Upright, narrow, grey-green leaves emerge in late winter or spring and die back by summer.

Growth

Moderate; bulbs multiply gradually, while seedlings take several years to flower.

Care needed

Low

• Plant bulbs in autumn with about twice their own height of soil above them, spacing them 3-6 in (8-15 cm) apart.
• Water during prolonged dry spells while leaves are green, especially in containers.
• On poor soil, apply a light bulb fertiliser as shoots emerge, following the label rate.
• Mulch lightly with leaf mould or compost, keeping drainage clear.
• Divide congested clumps when flowering declines, after the foliage yellows.

Pruning. Remove faded flower heads unless you want seed, but leave stems and leaves to yellow naturally. Do not tie foliage into knots or mow naturalised areas until the leaves have died back, usually at least six weeks after flowering.

Early autumn

Plant bulbs promptly after purchase in well-drained soil; use seasons rather than Northern Hemisphere planting months in Australia.

Late autumn

Apply a light leaf-mould mulch and check that planting areas do not remain waterlogged.

Late winter

Check emerging shoots for slug damage and water containers if their compost is dry.

Spring

Enjoy flowering, remove spent flower heads if seed is unwanted, and feed lightly on poor soil.

Late spring

Keep foliage intact and water during extended drought while leaves remain green.

Early summer

Remove fully yellowed leaves; lift and divide overcrowded clumps, then replant promptly.

• Plant irregular drifts beneath deciduous trees for spring colour before the canopy closes.
• Naturalise through orchard grass or on banks where mowing can wait until foliage dies back.
• Thread small groups through cottage borders, using hardy geraniums or ferns to conceal fading leaves.
• Edge woodland paths with repeated loose clumps, paired with primroses and snowdrops.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Woodland, Backyard orchard, Traditional and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Primroses, Snowdrops, Hellebores, Siberian bugloss, Hardy geraniums and Lady fern.

Wildlife: Flowers can provide early pollen and nectar for some bees, although the long trumpet limits access for many insects. Deer and rabbits usually avoid the plant, but it is not completely browsing-proof.

• Leaves but few flowers: improve spring light, stop cutting foliage early, and divide crowded clumps after the leaves yellow.
• Bulb rot in wet ground: improve drainage or move bulbs to a better-drained site; discard soft or rotting bulbs.
• Narcissus bulb fly: larvae hollow out bulbs, causing weak growth or failure to emerge; remove and destroy affected bulbs and firm soil around remaining plants.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging shoots and flowers with hand-picking or a locally approved iron-phosphate bait used as directed.

Toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people if eaten. All parts contain poisonous alkaloids, with the highest concentrations in the bulbs; ingestion commonly causes vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and larger amounts can cause serious heart or nervous-system effects. Sap can irritate skin. Keep bulbs separate from onions and seek medical or veterinary advice promptly after ingestion.

• Jonquil (Narcissus jonquilla)

  Jonquils have narrow, almost cylindrical leaves and usually several small, strongly scented yellow flowers per stem; wild daffodils have flat leaves and usually one larger trumpet flower.

• Summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum)

  Its nodding flowers are white bells with green-tipped segments and no central trumpet, unlike the yellow trumpet flowers of this daffodil.

The species name pseudonarcissus comes from Greek words meaning 'false narcissus'.

Propagation. Separate offsets after the foliage yellows and replant promptly. Alternatively, sow ripe seed fresh in pots outdoors; seedlings usually need several years to flower. It can self-seed and naturalise where conditions suit it.

Accepted botanical name

Narcissus pseudonarcissus

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 29 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.