Daffodil

Daffodils (genus Narcissus) are classic spring-flowering bulbs, instantly known by their central trumpet (corona) surrounded by a ring of petals, most famously in bright yellow but also white, orange, and bicolors.

Among the earliest and most dependable spring flowers, they naturalize easily, returning and multiplying year after year with almost no care.

Their bulbs are resistant to deer, rodents, and other pests that trouble many other bulbs, which helps them persist and spread.

Identify a daffodil by:

• Flowers: Six petal-like tepals with a central cup or trumpet (corona); usually yellow and/or white.
• Leaves: Long, strap-like, blue-green leaves rising from the base.
• Stem: A hollow, leafless flower stalk bearing one or several blooms.
• Bulb: A rounded bulb with a papery tunic, often producing offsets.
• Bloom time: Early to mid-spring, among the first bulbs to flower.

Daffodils are about as easy as bulbs get.

• Light: Full sun to part shade; they tolerate dappled shade under deciduous trees.
• Water: Moist during growth and flowering; they prefer a drier summer dormancy.
• Soil: Well-drained soil is key to prevent bulb rot.
• Temperature: Hardy; require a cold winter to bloom well.
• Feeding: Light feeding at planting and after bloom; let foliage die back naturally to recharge the bulb.
• Propagation: Plant bulbs in autumn; clumps multiply by offsets and can be divided after foliage yellows.

Narcissus species are native to Europe and North Africa, especially the Mediterranean region and the Iberian Peninsula, growing in meadows, woodlands, and rocky ground.

Widely naturalized and cultivated, daffodils are planted across temperate gardens worldwide and are a major commercial bulb and cut-flower crop. They are an emblem of Wales and a familiar symbol of spring.