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Plants Direct USA

Daffodil

Narcissus · Perennial

Daffodil (Narcissus) in bloom in a garden
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Light
Full sun to part shade
Water
Average, about an inch a week
Size
6 to 20 in
Blooms
Early to mid spring
Colors
yellow, white, orange
Planting depth
6 inches
Deer resistantGood cut flowerFragrant
Growing tip. Deer and squirrels leave them alone. Let the leaves die back on their own for six weeks so next year's flowers form.

When to plant daffodil by zone

ZoneMedian last / first frostWhen to plantWinter
3bMay 16 / Sep 25Plant bulbs: Aug 28 to Oct 16Comes back
4aMay 12 / Sep 28Plant bulbs: Aug 31 to Oct 19Comes back
4bMay 8 / Oct 1Plant bulbs: Sep 3 to Oct 22Comes back
5aMay 3 / Oct 5Plant bulbs: Sep 7 to Oct 26Comes back
5bMay 1 / Oct 10Plant bulbs: Sep 12 to Oct 31Comes back
6aApr 29 / Oct 16Plant bulbs: Sep 18 to Nov 6Comes back
6bApr 22 / Oct 22Plant bulbs: Sep 24 to Nov 12Comes back
7aApr 16 / Oct 25Plant bulbs: Sep 27 to Nov 15Comes back
7bApr 5 / Nov 1Plant bulbs: Oct 4 to Nov 22Comes back
8aMar 29 / Nov 7Plant bulbs: Oct 10 to Nov 28Comes back
8bMar 16 / Nov 14Plant bulbs: Oct 17 to Dec 5Comes back
9aMar 2 / Nov 26Plant bulbs: Oct 29 to Dec 17Too warm
9bFeb 1 / Dec 9Plant bulbs: Nov 11 to Dec 30Too warm

Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.

Similar bulbs

More for your zone: zone 3 bulbs, zone 4 bulbs, zone 5 bulbs, zone 6 bulbs, zone 7 bulbs, zone 8 bulbs.

Frequently asked questions

What zone does daffodil grow in?

Daffodil is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it struggles with the winter. Find your zone by ZIP code.

How much sun does daffodil need?

Full sun to part shade. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.

Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.

Planting reminders

Know when to plant, by email

A short email each season: what to start, what to plant out and when frost is likely. Spring reminders start in February.

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