daffodil

When to plant daffodils?

Botanical name
Narcissus
Family
Amaryllidaceae

Daffodils are planted from September to October. They flower from March to April.

Daffodils are perennial plants.

daffodil
Photo: Olei · CC BY-SA 3.0

Daffodils through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Planting
Flowering
15913172125293337414549
  • planting
  • flowering

In short

Planting
from September to October
weeks 36 to 40
Planting depth
18 cm
Flowering
from March to April
weeks 10 to 18
Propagation
division

Growing conditions

☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
little water
❄️
Frost
overwinters outdoors
📏
Height
20 to 76 cm
⚠️
Toxicity
toxic to people and animals, toxic parts: roots, bulbs, stems, leaves and flowers

Pests and diseases

Listed here is every problem for which the sources name this plant as a host. The problems are not listed in order of how common they are.

Narcissus bulb fly

pest
Signs
The bulb sends up no flower, only a few grassy leaves, or it does not come up at all. Cut open, the bulb is eaten out inside and full of muddy droppings, with a fat whitish larva in it.
Prevention
The fly is on the wing from the middle of May into June and lays its eggs at the neck of the bulb in warm, sheltered spots. After flowering press the soil down around the leaves, so that the way to the bulb closes. Plant in more open and shadier places and buy healthy stock. Treasured bulbs can be covered with fleece during the flight.
What to do
Dig up and remove affected plants before the larva pupates. The source names no product.

Slugs and snails

pest
Signs
Holes appear in the middle of the leaf rather than along the edge, young plants are eaten down to the ground, and there are slimy trails in the morning. On low-growing fruit there are gnawed pits.
Prevention
Remove the hiding places beside the bed: boards, stones, dense weeds. Water in the morning and not in the evening, so that the night is dry. Spread a band of coarse sand or gravel around the bed. Cover young plants with fleece. Pick them off at night, which is still the most effective measure.

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Related plants

The plants below are in the same botanical family (Amaryllidaceae).

Sources about the plant: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, Clemson Cooperative Extension, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, Iowa State University Extension, NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Royal Horticultural Society, Wikidata. Checked between 14 and 28 August 2026. The problem descriptions also draw on: University of Maryland Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.