Growing Guide
 
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Daffodil (jonquilla cultivars)

Spring-Flowering Bulb

Also known as Jonquilla Daffodil, Jonquill
Narcissus sp. Jonquilla cultivars
Amaryllidaceae Family

Flowering in spring, daffodils are reliable, easy to grow, deer-resistant and great for naturalizing. Jonquilla Daffodils have fragrant blooms with wide perianths and short cups. The leaves are nearly cylindrical and flowers are often borne in clusters and come in a wide variety of shades of red, orange, yellow, green, white, and pink.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil
Prefers moist but well-drained soil.

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 9

Special locations:

  • outdoor containers
  • rock gardens
  • indoors as a houseplant - Bulbs can be forced inside for winter bloom.
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.5 to 2 feet

Spread: 0.25 to 0.5 feet

Bloom time:

  • early spring
  • mid-spring
  • late spring

Depends on variety.

Flower color:

  • red
  • orange
  • yellow
  • green
  • white
  • pink

Foliage color:

  • medium green
  • dark green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: upright

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • deer resistant
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Product of horticultural selection.
  • fragrant - Some cultivars have sweetly scented blooms.
Special uses:
  • cut flowers - Some varieties are especially long lasting.
  • naturalistic garden
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Plants the bulbs 5" deep. Divide after flowering or in the fall.

Maintenance and care:
Deadhead the plants to keep appearance tidy. Do not cut back the plants until the foliage begins to fade (about 6 weeks). Apply low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer after blooming if bloom performance was poor.

More growing information: How to Grow Bulbs

Pests:
Narcissus bulb flies
Bulb scale mite

Diseases:
Narcissus nematode
Narcissus basal rot
Narcissus yellow stripe virus
Varieties
‘Bell Song’: 1’ tall plants with pendulous blooms with white perianths and pale pink cup. 2 to 3 flower stems per plant, with 1 to 2 blooms per stem.

‘Bobbysoxer’: 8” tall plants with small blooms with bright yellow perianths and yellow cups rimmed with orange.

‘Dainty Miss’: 1 ½’ tall plants with white perianths and green-eyed white cup.

‘Fruit Cup’: 1’ tall plants with white perianths and yellow cups. Fragrant.

‘Hillstar’: 1 ½’ tall plants with yellow perianths and white rimmed cream colored cups. Usually two blooms per stem, one stem per plant.

‘Intrigue’: 1’ tall plants with pale yellow blooms, the long, tapered cup becoming pure white with time.

‘Lintie’: 10” tall late-blooming plants with bright yellow perianths and orange cups.

‘Pink Angel’: 1 ¼’ tall plants with fragrant blooms with white perianths and pink-rimmed, green-eyed white cups. Borne in groups of 2 to 3 blooms per stem.

‘Pipit’: 10” tall plants with fragrant pale yellow blooms, the cups fading to cream with time. The blooms are borne in groups of 2 to 3 per stem.

‘Pixie’s Sister’: 6” tall late-blooming plants with fragrant golden yellow blooms in clusters of up to 5 per stem.

‘Quail’: 1 ½’ tall late-blooming plants with fragrant golden yellow blooms.

‘Stratosphere’: over 2’ tall plants with fragrant blooms with yellow perianths and golden yellow cups in clusters of 3.

‘Sun Disc’: 8” tall plants with medium yellow blooms, the perianths fading to cream.

‘Suzy’: 1 ½’ tall plants with fragrant blooms alone or in pairs, with bright yellow perianths and orange-red cups.

‘Sweetness’: 1 ½’ tall early-blooming plants with very fragrant golden yellow blooms.

‘Trevithian’: 1 ½’ tall late-blooming plants with pale yellow, fragrant blooms borne in clusters of 1 to 3.