Trumpet Daffodil is a herbaceous perennial, flowering bulb in the onion family that grows up to 1 and 1/2 feet tall. This plant blooms in early spring with single flowers that have a corona tube as long as or longer than petal length, a distinguishing feature of this plant. It is a relatively slow growing plant, reaching maturity in 2 to 5 years. Trumpet Daffodil does best in moist, well-draining, soil in full sun or partial shade. This plant is tolerant of heat and drought. It is intolerant of extremely wet conditions. It benefits from the addition of bone meal or superphosphate added to the planting hole. This plant has a spreading habit and is good for naturalizing. Daffodils bloom year after year and are best planted in quantity in beds, borders, wild gardens, open woodland areas, in front of shrubs or massed under trees. Plant 6 weeks before the first freeze, 4 to 5 inches below the soil surface. Deadhead flowers to prevent seeding, but cut foliage back only after it has browned naturally. Quick ID Hints: Corona (trumpet) is as long or longer than perianth segments 1 flower per stem Usually concolorous and yellow Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is pest and disease resistant due to poisonous alkaloids content. Watch for slugs, snails and bulb mites. Bulb rot can occur in wet soils. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants", a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Narcissus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheNarcissus tazettaNarcissus x incomparabilisNarcissus x odorus
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
< 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are upright, strap-like, basal, linear, entire, erect, glaucous, flat, and less than an inch wide.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary; Umbel
Flower shape
Trumpet
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are scapose, horiztonal to drooping or ascending, fragrant, up to 4" in diameter, and subtended by a one-valved, membranous spathe. Flowers have a perianth tubular base with 6 segments. Perianth segments are yellow or white, spreading, elliptic-oblong, entire, and .8-1.4". Corona is yellow or white, conspicuous, subentire to 6-lobes, and .6-1.7" in size.
Bloom time
Spring
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Western Europe
Distribution
Eastern Canada and the United States south to Florida and west to Texas. Italy, Russia, Australia.
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area; Slope/Bank
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#pest resistant #heat tolerant #showy flowers #yellow flowers #drought tolerant #disease resistant #fantz #spring interest #HS302 #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #fpp #th-wildlife #th-smell
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Slugs and Snails Found on Flowers and Foliage; Bulb Mites; Narcissus Bulb Fly
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors, and cardiac arrhythmias. Bulbs are the most poisonous part