The Best Daffodil Bulbs

Daffodils are easily identifiable by their shape: six petals surrounding a small cup or trumpet-like center, and they’re famous for their bright, sunny yellow color. They bloom earlier than many other plants and are widely associated with the onset of spring.

Buying Guide for Daffodil Bulbs

Why buy daffodil bulbs?

Daffodils are great flowers for just about any garden. They look great as borders to your beds, around large shrubs, in groves and woodlands, or even as houseplants. They’re perennial plants, meaning they live more than two years, so you won’t have to replant them every year. Not only can you buy large quantities of bulbs for a relatively low price, but they tend to multiply over time, so you’ll wind up with even more flowers than you started with. This means that they spread their roots, which helps to reduce and even prevent erosion.

Daffodils tend to stay vibrant 5 to 20 days after blooming, can grow and thrive in a wide range of conditions, soils, and climates, and flourish equally well in full sunlight or partial shade. They also do well in fresh-cut bouquets or indoor planters if you want to bring their beauty inside your home.

All in all, daffodils bulbs are a great way to add cheeriness, brightness, and color to your yard or garden with pretty minimal attention and effort.

What should you look for in daffodil bulbs?

• Colors: As mentioned, daffodils are famous for their vivid yellow color. Vibrant yellow isn’t the only color option, though. Daffodils also come in white, orange, pale yellow, orange-red, yellow and orange, and white and orange. There are even pink daffodils, though they’re much harder to find. All of these colors can range from bright to pastel shades. Plenty of daffodil bulbs are sold as assorted mixes rather than in one color, so you can easily plant and grow daffodils in multiple different colors and shades if desired.
• Quantity: You’ll want to consider ahead of time how many daffodils you want to plant in your garden. Unlike some other types of flowers, daffodil bulbs are quite easy to find in larger bulk quantities. Packs of 50 to 200 daffodil bulbs are readily available for purchase. Single bulbs and smaller sets may be a bit harder to find. Each bulb will produce one to three flowers in its first bloom. It’s also worth noting that when you plant daffodils in your garden, the odds are good they’ll come back in higher numbers since they reproduce and multiply pretty easily.
• Type: There are more than one variety and species of daffodils. In some species, known as trumpet daffodils, the center cup is prominent and as long as or longer than the petals. Large cup daffodils are big flowers with large but shorter, more cup-shaped or flat centers; these varieties are the ones that often have petals and cups in two different colors. Others may have smaller cups or even double cups. Some petals are smoother or more ruffled than others. Several different species of daffodils include petticoat daffodils, poet’s narcissus, jonquils, Peruvian daffodils, Barrett Browning, and many more. While the wild types may not necessarily be available for purchase, you do have several varieties to consider if you want to mix up your garden a little bit.

When is the best time to plant daffodil bulbs?

Theoretically, you can plant daffodil bulbs whenever you want since they’re such hardy plants, and the bulbs can survive in the ground through the cold months. However, keep in mind that, like other bulbs, daffodil bulbs need time to put down their roots and grow before they start to sprout and blossom. Thus, the best time to plant your daffodil bulbs is in mid-to-late fall or early winter. This gives the bulbs enough time to grow underground and then bloom in the late winter and early-to-mid spring (depending on which month you plant them).

You can plant daffodil bulbs in the spring if you so choose, but don’t expect that you’ll see any daffodil flowers that same spring. Planting in the spring or summer ensures daffodils for the following year, not the current one.

Our Picks for the Best Daffodil Bulbs

Pros: These classic yellow daffodils grow into flowers naturally resistant to deer and rodents alike, so your local pests should leave them be. You’ll receive 100 large bulbs with your purchase in the traditional sunny yellow shade, perfect for planting in single-file rows along a walkway or driveway or in clusters in the garden. (While the odds are slim that all 100 bulbs will grow and bloom into daffodils, planting more bulbs gives you much better odds for a high-volume harvest.) And the bulbs themselves will be nice and large, which grow into bigger, more eye-catching blooms.

Cons: If you want some orange or white or bi-colored daffodils in the mix or to plant some other, more unusual species, you’ll have to buy those bulbs elsewhere.

Bottom Line: Deer and rodents can be a huge problem for gardeners, as they like to eat the leaves, roots, and other parts of your plants. If you’re having reoccurring pest problems with your garden, these daffodil bulbs may be just what you’re after.

 

Pros: Bright yellow isn’t the only color option for daffodils, and with this set of bulbs, you don’t just get alternative colors; you get a mix of them. These bulbs can grow into daffodils that are various shades of white, yellow, and multiple colors. There are also several different species of daffodils mixed in together. Regardless of color and type, these large bulbs will grow into daffodils with a height between 12 and 18 inches tall. They’re also resistant to deer, and you get the whole set for one nice low price, even if you opt for the limited edition bulb pack instead of the standard set.

Cons: There are only 25 bulbs per set. And while the assorted colors and varieties make for a nice blend of options, there’s no way to control which colors and species of bulb you receive.

Bottom Line: One of the benefits of daffodils is that they’re quite hardy plants that can grow in a variety of different climates, and this mix of large-sized bulbs is no exception. Not only are they tough bulbs, but they’re also a mix of assorted colors and types, offering more variety than the standard yellow daffodil bulbs, perfect for those who want a more colorful garden.

 

Pros: You’ll receive 150 large bulbs with your purchase, the equivalent of half a bushel’s worth. The colors are assorted, so you’ll have a mix of vibrant shades when the daffodils bloom. There’s also the possibility of other species of daffodil mixed in beyond the typical trumpet-shaped variety. They’ll grow to around 14 inches tall, and you’ll get to enjoy them for a longer time than most. Best of all, these big, beautiful daffodils only need minimal watering, so they’ll add vibrant splendor to your garden without requiring much maintenance.

Cons: This pack isn’t the most budget-friendly option out there. And while you will receive assorted colors and types of different daffodils, this is another set of bulbs where you don’t get to pick which colors or types you receive—it’s random.

Bottom Line: There are many reasons why you might be looking to buy a large quantity of daffodil bulbs for mass planting. Maybe you have an extremely large garden or are planting over several acres or properties for a landscaping job. Whatever your reasons, if you need a bulk supply of daffodil bulbs, this mix of 150 bulbs should have the perfect amount.

 

Pros: These bulbs grow into daffodils that are anything but ordinary. You get two large bulbs with your purchase, which will grow into a pair of Peruvian daffodils with 2-foot, leafless stalks, 4-inch blooms, and up to 2-foot leaves. The flowers will be white, potentially with some pale green stripes. They should grow two to five flowers per bulb and can grow up to 18 to 24 inches in total height at the peak of their maturity. What also sets them apart from most daffodils is that they can be planted in the springtime for beautiful blossoms by midsummer. These Peruvian daffodils bulbs will still thrive just as well in containers as in gardens, though.

Cons: Even though these give multiple flowers per bulb, you only receive two bulbs per purchase, far fewer than most packs of daffodil bulbs offer. This means you’re paying more per bulb than average, too, even though the price tag is fairly reasonable. Peruvian daffodils are also a bit more finicky and less hardy than most types of daffodils, so you may struggle a bit with getting them to grow properly (especially since instructions don’t come included). And they have a much more limited USDA hardiness zone; most daffodils can survive in zones 3 to 9, but these bulbs will only grow outside in zones 8 to 10. You’ll have to grow them indoors if you live in a colder climate.

Bottom Line: As lovely as classic daffodils are, you might be looking for something a little different or more unique for your garden. These bulbs will grow into delicate-looking Peruvian daffodils, also known as spider flowers, with long stamens, petal edges that appear slightly frayed, and long curling tendrils, sure to make a statement in your garden.

 

Pros: The variety of choices offered by this set of bulbs is excellent. You get to decide how many bulbs you want to buy and the species and corresponding color. If you want to buy a pack of 200 classic all-yellow daffodils, you can. But you can also buy a 50-pack of three different colors and varieties if you want more diversity. You don’t have to settle for an assorted mix where the colors and types you receive are completely random. And these bulbs are of excellent quality, too.

Cons: These bulbs are on the pricey side for daffodil bulbs. One or two of the varieties available come in smaller-than-average-sized bulbs, which means smaller flowers, too; this might not be an issue depending on where you plan to plant or display them, but it’s worth keeping in mind. Also, be sure to read the listing on each type of daffodil bulb carefully before you buy; one variety is meant for indoor planting only, and another is outdoor only.

Bottom Line: Many daffodil bulbs are sold either in a single variety and color or assorted bulbs that don’t give the choice of which colors and varieties you receive; the selection is random. However, with these daffodil bulbs, you can order the specific colors and types you want in your chosen quantity.

Final Thoughts

Planting daffodil bulbs is a great way to bring some cheer to your garden. Not only are they lovely and low maintenance, but they multiply of their own volition, giving your great returns on a relatively inexpensive purchase.