Pheasant's eye daffodil

Sun

Full sun or light partial shade; suitable beneath deciduous trees that leaf out after flowering.

Water

Keep soil evenly moist during active growth and flowering, without waterlogging. Water needs fall sharply once the leaves die back.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates clay if it drains adequately. Avoid sites that remain saturated.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

0.25-0.5 ft (0.08-0.15 m) per bulb, gradually widening into clumps

Flowers

Late spring, later than most daffodils; fragrant white flowers with a small yellow cup edged in red.

Foliage

Upright, narrow, blue-green leaves that emerge before flowering and die back in summer.

Growth

Moderate; clumps enlarge gradually through offsets.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

About 1 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• 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 dry spells while leaves are green, especially in the first spring after planting.
• Apply a light dressing of bulb fertiliser as growth begins if soil is poor; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Mulch with compost in autumn, keeping the site well drained.
• Divide crowded clumps when flowering declines, lifting after the leaves yellow and replanting promptly.
• In warm-winter areas, check local performance before planting extensively; flowering can be unreliable without enough winter chilling.

Pruning. Remove spent flower heads before seed develops unless you want seedlings. Leave foliage intact until it yellows naturally, usually at least six weeks after flowering; do not tie it into knots or mow it while green.

Autumn

Plant bulbs and top-dress established beds with compost.

Late winter

Check drainage and remove debris that shelters slugs around emerging shoots.

Early spring

Feed lightly if needed and water during prolonged dry weather.

Late spring

Enjoy the flowers, then remove fading heads unless saving seed.

Early summer

Allow foliage to yellow before cutting it back or mowing naturalised grass.

Summer

Lift and divide overcrowded clumps after foliage dies back; replant without leaving bulbs exposed to dry out.

• Plant loose drifts through orchard grass, leaving the area unmown until the foliage dies back.
• Repeat small groups along a border to extend the daffodil season into late spring.
• Place among emerging hostas or hardy geraniums, whose leaves help conceal dying bulb foliage.
• Use beneath open-canopied deciduous trees for a lightly shaded spring display.
• Plant beside a path where the fragrance and fine red cup edging can be appreciated.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Woodland, Backyard orchard, White garden and Sensory garden.

Plant it with: Hostas, Hardy geraniums, Forget-me-nots, Brunnera, Primroses and Lady's mantle.

Wildlife: Open flowers may be visited by bees and other insects, though this is not a major nectar plant. Deer and rabbits usually avoid the toxic foliage and bulbs.

• Leaves but few flowers: improve sunlight, avoid cutting foliage early, and divide congested clumps; newly moved bulbs may need time to settle.
• Narcissus bulb fly: larvae hollow out bulbs and weaken growth. Remove affected bulbs and firm soil around plants after foliage dies back to close gaps where eggs may be laid.
• Basal rot: bulbs become soft or decay from the base. Discard affected bulbs, improve drainage and avoid replanting into contaminated soil.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging shoots and flowers with hand-picking or wildlife-conscious slug controls.

Toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses. All parts contain poisonous alkaloids, with the highest risk from bulbs, which can be mistaken for onions. Eating them can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; larger amounts can cause serious heart or nervous-system effects. Sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling or cutting many plants.

• Common daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)

  Usually has yellow outer segments and a long trumpet, rather than white segments surrounding a very short, red-edged cup.

• Paperwhite (Narcissus papyraceus)

  Carries clusters of smaller white flowers on each stem, usually without a yellow-and-red eye; it also flowers earlier in mild climates.

• Jonquil (Narcissus jonquilla)

  Has narrow, nearly cylindrical leaves and several small yellow flowers per stem, rather than broader, flat leaves and usually one white flower.

The epithet poeticus means 'of poets', while pheasant's eye refers to the small red-rimmed cup at the centre of the flower.

Propagation. Separate offsets from established clumps after the foliage yellows and replant promptly. Seed is also possible, but seedlings take several years to flower and may differ from the parent where other daffodils grow nearby.

Accepted botanical name

Narcissus poeticus

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Austria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and Yugoslavia.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 30 cm.

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