Pretty enough to inspire poets and adaptable enough to look good almost anywhere, daffodils are truly spring's indispensable flowers.
Wordsworth, Spenser, Masefield and even Shakespeare have glorified daffodils. On top of that, the fall flower-bulb gardener can choose from among more than 10,000 registered name varieties, states David Robson, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, Springfield Center.
Making a choice from such a number of varieties for planting this fall could be bewildering. Dutch bulb growers, who supply most of the world's daffodils, offer a simple solution. They suggest gardeners become familiar with the major classes or divisions.
Individual varieties come and go, and many one-time favorites are now obsolete; but the classes always remain. In fact, the major classes are well established and provide home gardeners with a solid basis for selection.
Daffodils are classified by the form or color of the flowers. Here is an outline of the major classes. It should be pointed out that daffodils are all "Narcissus" which is the scientific name for the plant genus.
TRUMPET DAFFODILS. These are the familiar long cupflowers that comprise the basic "flower power" in every spring garden. They may be yellow (varieties such as King Alfred) or white (Mount Hood). They are valued for their size and tradition.
LARGE-CUPPED DAFFODILS. Although the cup is shorter than Trumpet daffodils, it is still long in relation to the petals. Both cup and petals may be colored or only the cup colored with white petals. A daffodil is said be "colored" when any part is some color other than white.
-SMALL-CUPPED DAFFODILS. As their name implies, the cup is small–less than one-third the length of the petals. The petals may be the same color as the cup, or the cup may be colored and set off against white petals. Both cup and petals may be white in other varieties in this group.
DOUBLE DAFFODILS. Although there may be only a single flower to a stem, the flower is double–that is, there are more petals than normal which produce a bloom that resembles a full-blown rose. These sumptuous daffodils may be all yellow, yellow-petaled with an orange center, or have a colored cup against white petals.
TRIANDRUS HYBRIDS. These daffodils are always white. They produce up to six flowers on one stem and are available in both small-cupped and long-cupped varieties. The petals are usually bent backwards or reflexed. "Thalia" is a well-know variety in this group.
CYCLAMINEUS HYBRIDS. These are charming dwarf daffodils with drooping orange-yellow cups and lemon-yellow petals, bent sharply backwards. "Baby Doll" and "February Gold" are two well-known examples.
JONQUILLA HYBRIDS. Jonquils are familiar flowers, much appreciated for their fragrance. They are characterized by rush-like foliage and usually have several flowers on one stem. They are often a pale, buttercup yellow (Trevithian).
TAZETTA. Also known as "Poetaz" daffodils, this group includes many doubles and produces clusters of flowers on one stem. Its color range is large: yellow cup against white petals, orange cup and yellow petals or all yellow.
POETICUS. The flowers in this class have white petals with shallow, saucer-like yellow cups edged orange or red. These usually well-defined daffodils add a bright luminous note to spring gardens.
There are other divisions of daffodils, including many wild and hybrid forms. Some varieties bloom very early; others, like those in the Tazetta or Poeticus groups, are late flowering.
Large daffodil bulbs should be planted six inches deep and six inches apart, while the smaller varieties are planted three inches deep and three inches apart.
When making your daffodil selections, choose a few varieties of both early and late blossoming. They should be selected, according to their flowering time, either to complement tulips or other spring bulb flowers. They should be planted in groups or clusters of a dozen bulbs. Plant them "en masse" where they can be seen to their best advantage.
