Among the spring-flowering bulbs, daffodils continue to be popular with homeowners. With hybridizers constantly at work, new daffodil varieties are constantly being added to an already long list.
Fortunately, many of these modern kinds, noted for their good substance, good balance, superior texture, sunproof ability, and vigorous habit, may be purchased at moderate prices by the average home gardener. It has taken nearly 20 years for this to happen.
Since there are hundreds of new varieties, I have selected a few better, medium-priced varieties that will do well under average home garden conditions. They are listed according to their accepted classification.
Medium-Priced Varieties
1A. Large Yellow Trumpets (all yellow)
- Cromarty—deep yellow
- Gold Digger—bright yellow Mulatto—pale lemon
- Royalist— early, bright yellow, forces easily in pots
1B. Large Bicolor Trumpets (white perianth with yellow trumpets)
- Effective—pure white perianth, chrome yellow trumpet, with a halo of yellow into perianth
- Foresight—very early, white perianth, with golden trumpet
1C. Large White Trumpets (all white)
- Ardclinis— pure waxy white, forces easily in pots
- Beersheba — graceful, pure white, very popular
- Mount Hood—very largely white, robust grower
2A. Large Cup Yellow (yellow throughout)
- Crocus—intense, rich orange-gold St. Egwin—golden yellow, with a small cup.
2A. Large Cup (yellow perianth, orange or red crown)
- Aranjuez—perianth clear yellow, with bowl-shaped yellow crown, broadly edged orange-red
- Carbineer—large golden yellow perianth, with rich orange-red cup shading to yellow at the base
- Dunkeld—clear yellow perianth, with saucer-shaped, vivid orange-red crown
- Royal Mail—clear, bright yellow
2B. Large Cup (white perianth, yellow crown)
- Brunswick—one of first to flower, with the snow-white perianth, frilled light lemon crown
- Penrose—broad white perianth with a long, frilled yellow crown
2B. Large Cup (white perianth, red or orange cup)
- Permov—largest of the red and white varieties, with white perianth and large bowl-shaped crown of orange-red
- Kilworth—late flowering, with white perianth and large, vivid orange-red crown
- Poliedra—good all-around variety-snow white perianth, with bright orange-red cup
- Rubra—refined large flower, with silky, white perianth and a primrose apricot crown, bordered orange apricot
2C. Large Cup (all white)
- Carnough —pure white perianth, with opening cup showing pink blush, fading to pure white
- Truth – pure white, with a trumpet-like cup
3A. Small Cup (yellow perianth, yellow, orange, or red cups)
- Mangosteen—bright yellow perianth, with a wide, frilled blazing orange-scarlet crown
- Market Merry—deep old gold perianth, with a shallow, brilliant red cup
3B. Small Cup (white perianth, colored cup)
- Blarney—snow white perianth, with salmon-orange cup, rimmed with primrose
- Limerick—pure white perianth, with cherry-red crown
- St. Louis—smooth white perianth, with bright orange cup, edged with red
3C. Small Cup (all white)
- Foggy Dew—round white perianth, with a frilled creamy white crown, tinted green in the center
- Portrush—late flowering, pure white perianth, with a white crown, shaded emerald-green
4. Doubles
- Cheerfulness—small blooms, three or four in the cluster, creamy white and yellow at the center
- Mary Copeland—creamy white, with rich orange petals in the center, flowering late
5. Triandrus
- Niveth—purest, stainless white of perfect grace and quality
- Silver Chimes—silvery white perianth, with Lemon tinted bells in small clusters
- Tresamble—one of largest in the group, with pure white flowers, four to six on a stein
6. Cyclamineus
- Beryl—creamy yellow, reflexing perianth, with orange cup, changing to gold as matures
- February Gold —early flowering, lemon-yellow perianth, with deeper yellow trumpet
7. Jonquilla
- Golden Perfection—one of the largest and most striking, bright yellow
- Trevithian—clear, rich yellow throughout, with a small cup and sweet fragrance, in clusters
8. Tazetta (multi-flowered, Poetaz)
- Geranium—pure white perianth, with rich geranium-red cup, 3-4 fragrant flowers on a stem
- Martha Washington —largest flowers in class, with pure white perianth and buttercup-yellow crown, frilled, orange at the edge
9. Poeticus
- Actaea—one of the older varieties, but still one of the best, with large pure white flowers and small red-bordered eye
- Cantabile—rounded pure white perianth and deep, emerald green eye, with broad yellow band and red rim
Pinks
- Bose of Tralec—late variety, with large star-shaped flowers having white perianth and long crown, flushed with rosy, apricot-pink
- Rosy Sunrise—pure white perianth, with trumpet-like crown, frilled at the mouth, in a soft shade of clear pink
The following daffodil varieties represent the most recent introductions. These are of such recent development that they are expensive, though “tops” in their respective classes.
New Sunproof Varieties
- Arbar—probably best with white perianth and orange-red cup
- Ceylon—yellow perianth, with orange-red cup, the color intensifies as ages
- Firegleam—large, smooth, white
- Perianth—flat orange-red cup
- Foxhunter—very flat clear yellow perianth, with rather narrow red-orange cup
- Galeador —silky, clear yellow perianth, with a wide orange-red cup of unusual brilliance
- King Cardinal—an up-to-date Hades, with the smooth snow-white perianth, deep red cup
- Revelry—soft yellow perianth, long flaming orange-red crown
- Royal Charger—smooth golden yellow perianth, clear red cup
New Healthy White Trumpets
- Broughshane — majestic, with massive blooms on tall stems, having wide white trumpet and broad white overlapping perianth, flanged at the mouth
New Healthy Bicolor Trumpets
- Aldergrove—large pure white perianth, with perfectly proportioned deep yellow crown
- Ballygarvey—magnificent size, substance, and form, «ii Ii large pure white perianth and deep golden yellow trumpet, rolled at the brim
- Foresight—described previously
- Lapford — tall, early, refined bicolor, with white perianth and yellow sulfur crown.
- Preamble—well-formed, very durable with white perianth and rich yellow crown
- Chinese White—superb white of crystalline purity, with pure white perianth and saucer-shaped crown, touched with green in the eye.
Little Known Triandrus
- Rippling Waters—white, with a smooth, heavy finish
- Rosedown —clear yellow perianth, with a goblet-shaped crown of soft orange
- Silver Chimes—described previously
- Thoughtful—pale yellow
- Tresamble—best triandrus, pure white, with excellent form and substance
New Pendant Cyclamineus
- Charity May—graceful, distinctive alabaster white, with three flowers per stern
- Jenny—same form and quality as Charity May, but soft yellow
New Pinks
- Ann Abbott
- Karanja
- Pink Isle
- Pink Rim
- Radiation
- Rosario
- Rose of Caprice
- Rose of Tralee
- Rosy Sunrise
- Salmon Trout
44659 by Carey Quinn