Daffodils (also known by their Latin name Narcissus) are cheerful, vibrant spring bloomers that fit well in just about any landscape. They're easy to grow and will reward your work in the garden by returning year after year, sometimes even multiplying and spreading from their original planting site in a process known as naturalizing. Their flowers are colourful and often fragrant, and they're known to be fairly resistant to damage from deer and rodents. There are thousands of daffodil varieties to choose from, but they can be divided into a number of categories, each with their own defining characteristics. 

Shop fall bulbs here, or take a look at all the bulbs available this year at our Halifax store here.

Trumpet

Early to mid-spring blooms

Trumpet daffodils have a classic, traditional look and are available in a range of colours from white to deep yellow and multicolour combinations. They have one large flower per stem and are characterized by their long cups, which may be as long as or longer than the surrounding petals. Trumpet daffodils grow well in nearly any setting. Great for naturalizing.

Large Cupped

Mid to late spring blooms

Large cupped daffodils are similar in shape to trumpet daffodils but have a smaller cup that is shorter than the surrounding petals. They are available in a wide range of colours including peach, red, and pink along with the classic yellows and whites. Their cups may be ruffled, flat, or trumpet-shaped, and each bulb produces one large flower per stem. Great for naturalizing.

Small Cupped

Mid to late spring blooms

Small cup daffodils are characterized by their short cups, which are less than 1/3rd the length of the surrounding petals. Each bulb produces one medium sized bloom. Bicolour small cupped daffodils are common, and their cups are often vibrantly coloured.

Double

Mid-spring blooms

Double daffodils are dramatic and showy, with multilayered petals or trumpets that create ornate, ruffled blooms. Each bulb may produce one or two flowers per stem. Double daffodils come in many colours and combinations of colours. Often fragrant.

Jonquilla

Mid to late-spring blooms

Jonquilla daffodils have small, open flowers that cluster three or more per stem. Their small size makes them an appropriate choice for forcing in containers indoors. Jonquilla daffodils have foliage that is grasslike and their blooms have a strong fragrance. Great for naturalizing.

Tazetta

Early to mid-spring blooms

Tazetta daffodils grow large clusters of small flowers on each stem, sometimes up to 20 per stem. The flowers have very short cups, giving them a delicate appearance. Tazetta daffodils are not as hardy as some other varieties and do best in zone 5 and higher, but they naturalize well in the right climate. They also make a great choice for forcing. 

Bulbocodium

Early to mid-spring blooms

These tiny daffodils have a distintinctive shape often compared to a hoop petticoat. Bulbocodium daffodils are low growing with small flowers, usually producing several stems per bulb. They're excellent for naturalizing and are a great choice for rock gardens and borders.

Split Cupped

Mid-spring blooms

Named for their split trumpet, which may be divided into a few or many segments. Split cupped daffodils come in two varieties, Collar and Papillon/Butterfly. Collar varieties have two rows with three petals each, and Butterfly varieties have one row of six petals. Flowers are typically large colourful.

Miniature

Early to mid-spring blooms

Miniature daffodils may have the characteristics of any other division, but with shorter, smaller blooms usually no more than 2" in diameter. 

Other

Other divisions of daffodils include Triandrus, Cyclamineus, and Poeticus. Species daffodils are another distinct category, made up of various daffodil species and hybrids found in the wild. 

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