Daffodil Bulbs for Every Stage of Spring

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Choose daffodil cultivars with varied bloom times to maximize their presence in your spring garden. With careful choices, you can have daffodils blooming from early spring to late spring. Here are our favorite daffodils for each stage of spring:

EARLY-BLOOMING DAFFODILS

1. 'February Gold' Among the first daffodils to bloom in spring, this heirloom dates to the 1920s. It is solid yellow with reflexed petals. USDA Zones 4–9.

2. 'Ice Follies' This favorite is beloved for its vigor as well as its frilled yellow crown that shifts to white over time. Slightly fragrant. Zones 3–8.

3. 'Avalanche' This tazetta type makes a rounded head of up to 20 small, pale flowers on a single stem. Fragrant. Zones 6–9.

MID-SEASON DAFFODILS

4. 'Red Devon' The deep orange cup centering bold yellow petals is certain to draw attention. It has won multiple awards since debuting more than 75 years ago. Zones 3–8.

5. 'Salome' A tall cup that begins yellow and deepens in color to peachy pink is the icing for the nearly translucent white petals of this cultivar. Zones 3–8.

6. 'Tahiti' This frilly flower boasts a tropical color combination of bright yellow and salmon orange. It is considered one of the most reliable double daffodils. Zones 3–8.

LATE-BLOOMING DAFFODILS

7. 'Flower Record' An heirloom variety dating to 1940, it has clean white petals surrounding an orange-rimmed golden crown. Slight fragrance. Zones 3–9.

8. 'Actaea' Introduced in 1919, this poeticus type features a diminutive red-and-orange cup ringed by pure-white overlapping petals. Fragrant. Zones 3–7.

9. 'Thalia' This elegant all-white daffodil has been grown in gardens for over 100 years, having been registered in 1916. It is one of the last daffodils to bloom in spring. Zones 4–9.

Recommended related reading:

Daffodil by Noel Kingsbury is a must for gardeners who love this spring-blooming bulb along with history. The book offers practical advice but it also tells the stories of varieties that date back hundreds of years.

Daffodils for North American Gardens is a classic guide by Brent and Becky Heath, who operate a bulb farm and nursery in Virginia. The book covers varieties, planting times and methods, daffodil care and more, including how to choose the right varieties for your garden, suggested companions and using daffodils as cut flowers.

Mix some cool-season annuals in with your spring-blooming bulbs! Cool Flowers by flower farmer Lisa Mason Ziegler shows how to make the most of "hardy annuals," those that can handle cool air and even frost.