17 Daffodil Types to Choose From to Brighten Up Your Garden
There are hundreds of daffodil types on the market. These perennial bulbs bloom from early spring into early summer, depending on where you live and which varieties you choose to grow. They come in an assortment of shapes, sizes, and colors. Here are some of the prettiest types of daffodils to look for.
Jetfire
A showstopper when in bloom, 'Jetfire' is a daffodil type that offers pure golden petals with a contrasting orange trumpet.
Bloom Season: Early spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 14 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Sentinel
A fabulous pink-cup daffodil type, 'Sentinel' offers a rich color contrast with its beautiful ruffled cup and white petals.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
Thalia
'Thalia' is an heirloom variety that offers sweetly scented pure white blooms. It's no wonder this special variety is sometimes called the orchid narcissus.
Bloom Season: Mid to late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: 14 inches
Zones: 4-8
Quail
'Quail' offers clusters of bright golden-yellow flowers. Its boldly colored blooms are long-lasting and fragrant.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 14 inches tall
Zones: 5-9
Sorbet
A split-cup daffodil type, 'Sorbet' has contrasting cream, yellow, and orange blooms. The color combination is gorgeous, and the split cup adds extra interest.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Barrett Browning
An heirloom favorite, 'Barrett Browning' offers a small orange cup and pristine white petals. It's a reliable performer through the years.
Bloom Season: Early to midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
Jack Snipe
A classic white-and-yellow daffodil type, 'Jack Snipe' offers fragrant blooms. It forms beautiful clumps in the garden over time.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 10 inches tall
Zones:4-9
Sovereign
This outstanding yellow-orange daffodil type has earned its regal name. The large flowers offer white petals and a bold split cup.
Bloom Season: Mid to late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 18 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
Romance
It seems that nearly everyone loves pink-cup daffodils, and 'Romance' doesn't disappoint. This charmer has rose-pink cups against beautiful white petals.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Tahiti
A daffodil type of unmistakable beauty, 'Tahiti' bears soft-yellow flowers accented by a double cup flecked with red-orange. It's particularly great for cutting and an extra-reliable variety in the landscape.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
Canaliculatus
An adorable miniature daffodil (with a big name!), this variety offers clusters of white and yellow fragrant flowers on each stem. It's a particularly good choice for southern gardeners.
Bloom Season: Early to midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 inches tall
Zones: 6-10
Petit Four
An award-winning daffodil, 'Petit Four' has white petals and a double apricot-pink cup. The show-stopping, long-lasting flowers are also fragrant.
Bloom Season: Late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
Hawera
An heirloom daffodil type, 'Hawera' pops up in spring and creates a low carpet of soft yellow flowers. It's a very reliable miniature variety.
Bloom Season: Late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 6 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Cheerfulness
This daffodil's name fits it perfectly. 'Cheerfulness' is an heirloom variety that offers double white and yellow blooms. It often bears several blooms to a stem and is fragrant.
Bloom Season: Late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 4-8
Merlin
A small-cup beauty, 'Merlin' offers crisp white petals and a tiny yellow cup ringed in orange-red. The flowers last a long time.
Bloom Season: Mid to late spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 16 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
White Lion
Dramatic because of its double petals, 'White Lion' is a beautiful white daffodil with a white and yellow cup that looks a little like a lion's mane. It's an extra-strong daffodil type that holds up well as a cut flower.
Bloom Season: Midspring
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 18 inches tall
Zones: 3-8
February Gold
This early-blooming gem offers clear golden-yellow blooms with long trumpets. It's a top-notch choice for adding extra early color in the garden.
Bloom Season: Early spring
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 12 inches tall
Zones: 4-8