
Section Navigation
Daffodil Hill Highlights
The Narcissus collection on Daffodil Hill has been growing since the early 1920s, and because daffodils flower annually, in addition to yearly supplemental plantings, our Daffodil Hill has been lush with beautiful colors and fragrances for nearly a century.
The daffodils below are only a sampling of the Garden’s collection, new and old, and are some of our favorite cultivars. Learn what makes these daffodils so special. Click on the photos below for more views, and scroll through the slideshow at the bottom for detailed descriptions.
Classifying Daffodils
When identifying daffodils, determining its division is just the first step. Another categorizing system we use is color classification. This color-based system includes the division of the flower (in this case 13), followed by the color of the perianth segments, or tepals, and the color(s) of the corona.
The tepals are identified first, then the corona. In this case, the tepals are white, and is noted in the code as a W. The corona for this daffodil is comprised of three colors. In the code, the colors are recorded starting from the base of the corona, moving outward to the rim. The base of the corona in our example is green, then yellow, with a red rim. This is noted in the code as GYR.
This system of classification was adopted by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1975. It continues to be immensely useful for identifying unknown daffodils and maintaining historic collections today.


Narcissus 'Curly Lace' is a division 11a (Split-Cup Collar) daffodil with flowers about 7.5cm in diameter. These sweetly smelling flowers usually face upward with their lowest hanging flowers making a right angle with the stem. The tepals are rounded, slightly concave, and bright greenish yellow. The corona is divided into 6 segments that overlay the tepals and are a bright rich yellow. The corona segments overlap each other at the shoulders and are frilled.

Narcissus 'Exception' is a division 1 (Trumpet) daffodil with spectacular flowers that reach 10.3cm in diameter. The flowers are bright yellow and face upwards. The tepals are very broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) with white mucro (abrupt sharp point at tip). The corona is long, cylindrical to funnel-shaped, and has an expanded mouth with a notched and dramatically flanged (curling outward to form a flat collar) rim.

Narcissus 'Ice Follies' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil. The shallow, but very broad, ruffled, and deeply notched corona opens yellow and matures to a white. The white tepals are truncated at the tip, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) and tend to reflex (bend backwards) slightly. The tepals overlap each other by one half. The maturation (change over the course of the bloom cycle) of the corona is especially appreciated when planted in sweeps where the color variations can be viewed together.

Narcissus 'Rapture' is a division 6 (Cyclamineus) daffodil and rarely reaches 30cm (1ft) in height. Despite its diminutive size, 'Rapture' catches your attention with its strongly reflexed (bent backward) tepals and long cylindrical corona. It is entirely yellow with a tinge of green at the base of the tepals. The corona is smooth at the base but becomes ribbed towards the mouth. Come springtime, 'Rapture' is one of the first daffodils to bloom in our collection.

Narcissus 'Saint Keverne' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil. The flower is entirely bright-yellow, the tepals are broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) with a prominent white mucro (abrupt sharp point at tip) the corona is cylindrical, smooth or delicately ribbed, and slightly richer in color than the tepals. The mouth of the corona is deeply notched and flanged (curling backwards to form a flat collar). 'Saint Keverne' was named after Lanarth, Saint Keverne, Cornwall, the home of P.D. Williams, one of the most famous daffodil breeders of his time.

Narcissus 'Wisley' is a division 6 (Cyclamineus) daffodil. The reflexed (bent backward) tepals are cream-colored with a yellow staining at their base. The golden-yellow corona is long, widely expanded, and has a strongly frilled mouth. This daffodil reaches a standard 30-60cm (1-2ft) in height. 'Wisley' was named after the famous English botanical garden in celebration of the Royal Horticultural Society's 100th anniversary, and was registered in 2014.

Narcissus 'Beautiful Eyes' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that blooms mid-season. Every stem bears 2-3 flowers (each 5.1cm wide), and has a fragrance similar to sweet gardenia. Tepals open a primrose yellow but mature to a lovely pale ivory with a stained golden halo towards the base of the cup. The corona is a rich orange-red and is bowl-shaped.

Narcissus 'Chromacolor' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil. This daffodil makes quite the impression with its large flowers (12cm in diameter), and intense coloring. White, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) tepals frame a widely expanded and bright pink corona with a ruffled rim. You’ll also notice the tepal margins (edges) consistently curl inward. Upon first opening, the young flower's cup is a macaroni orange that transitions to a melon sherbet and then an electric coral. When planted in sweeps the color maturation can be better appreciated.

Narcissus 'Firebrand' is a division 3 (Small-cup) daffodil with flowers about 7.5cm in diameter. These star-shaped flowers are comprised of creamy-white tepals with lemon yellow staining at the base, and a corona that is a bright scarlet red with a yellow center. The tepals are long and narrow, with acute tips, wavy margins (edges), and often are inflexed (curling inward lengthwise). The corona is cup-shaped, ribbed, and has a straight mouth. Historical records show photos of Narcissus 'Firebrand' naturalized around daffodil hill as early as 1925, and the existing populations of 'Firebrand' are likely legacies of those old naturalized plantings.

Narcissus 'Pink Charm' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil with flowers 9cm in diameter. The tepals are an ivory-white, and the corona a yellowish white with a thick band of coral at the rim. The tepals are roundish, blunt at tips, with a noticeable midrib (vein down the middle of a tepal). The corona is a wide funnel-shape, with a notched and wavy rim, giving it a slightly ruffled appearance.

Narcissus 'Pistachio' is a division 1 (Trumpet) daffodil that is considered a dwarf, topping out around 30cm (1ft) tall. Tepals are a very soft yellow with a greenish cast and a whitish halo at the base of the corona. The corona is creamy white at the base, gradually turning a citrine yellow towards the rim. The tepals are ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base), with a pointed tip, and a prominent midrib (vein down the middle of a tepal). The corona is funnel-shaped with a lightly ruffled and notched rim. With very large flowers, this rare reverse bicolor (a daffodil with dark tepals and a light corona, opposite to a standard bi-color), daffodil makes quite the impression in the landscape.

Narcissus 'Sailboat' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that blooms throughout the season and is considered a dwarf daffodil, topping out around 30cm (1 foot) tall. Small flowers, only 6cm (2 in.) wide, open with a pale yellow cup that matures to a buttercream white. The white tepals are reflexed (bent backwards) and the corona is straight, but loosely ribbed. 'Sailboat' often has 2-3 flowers per stem and has a surprisingly sweet fragrance.

Narcissus 'Sunlight Sensation' is a division 5 (Triandrus) daffodil that grows to 60cm (2ft) tall. There are typically 4 flowers per stem, each star-shaped, downward-facing, vivid yellow, and sweetly scented. The corona is about one-half the length of the tepals, is cup-shaped, with an expanded and wavy mouth. Each flower can reach 7cm in width.

Narcissus 'Sweetness' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that is standard in height (30cm-60cm; 1-2ft). Tepals are a rich yellow, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) acute, with white mucro (abrupt sharp point at tip). The corona is very smooth, cup-shaped, with a straight mouth, and is a bit darker than the tepals. True to its name, 'Sweetness' is incredibly fragrant and sweet. This daffodil often has 1-2 flowers per stem and each flower is about 6.5c m wide.

Narcissus 'Accent' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil with large flowers (10.2cm wide). This daffodil is star-shaped with white, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) tepals. The corona is funnel-shaped with a frilled mouth, and is a deep salmon pink often with a yellowish base. 'Accent' received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1995 but was rescinded by the RHS in 2012.

Narcissus 'Hawera' is a division 5 (Triandrus) daffodil and is considered a dwarf at less than 30cm (1ft) tall. Each stem typically has 6-8 very small flowers, and each bulb can produce up to 9 stems. The beautifully scented flowers are a delicate lemon to a soft canary yellow, with the corona slightly paler than its tepals. The tepals are long and narrow, strongly mucronate (having an abrupt sharp point at the tip), and are reflexed (bent backwards). The corona is cup shaped and has a subtly scalloped rim. 'Hawera' was named by Dr. William M. Thomson, the hybridizer, after the town in North Island, New Zealand where he practiced his medicine.

Narcissus 'Intrigue' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that grows to be less than 30cm (1ft) tall. Sporting 2-3 flowers per stem (often varying in size, but never more than 7cm wide), this daffodil is quite sweet in appearance and scent. The tepals are a brilliant greenish yellow with a broad band of white towards the base of the corona, while the corona opens a yellow and matures to a white. The tepals are sometimes more than 6 in number, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base), strongly mucronate (having an abrupt sharp point at the tip), with tepal margins (edges) often curling inward. The corona is funnel-shaped, with a straight mouth and a rim that curls outward. 'Intrigue' shares parentage with two other cultivars we have planted on the hill: 'Pipit' and 'Hillstar'. All three are strikingly similar.

Narcissus 'Lemon Sailboat' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that is considered a dwarf, typically measuring 30cm (1ft) tall. Small (5.5cm wide), upward-facing flowers open a brilliant greenish yellow, both tepals and corona. The tepals are reflexed (bent backwards), and the corona is cup-shaped and smooth. 'Lemon Sailboat' often has 2-3 flowers per stem and has a surprisingly sweet fragrance. 'Lemon Sailboat' is a yellow variation of Narcissus 'Sailboat' and also goes by the name 'Yellow Sailboat'.

Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus is a division 13 (Species and Wild Variants) daffodil and grows to be just over 30cm (1ft) tall, with drooping leaves. The tepals are pure white and are unmistakably reflexed (bent backwards), with prominent, inwardly curled margins (edges) that give the appearance of a star-shaped flower. The corona is very shallow and wide with distinct striations (stripes) of color starting at the base of the cup and working outwards: dark green, light green, lemon yellow, and a thin red rim. The striations of Narcissus poeticus species and hybrids give this sweet smelling daffodil its common name, the pheasant’s eye daffodil. Pheasant's eye daffodils are the very last to bloom in the daffodil season.

Narcissus 'Smiling Twin' is a division 11a (Split-Cupped Collar) daffodil. There are typically 2 flowers (8cm wide) per stem, hence "Twin" in the name. The tepals are a creamy white, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) with the inner 3 tepals curling in on the margins, or edges. The overall affect looks like a double triangle. The corona is a pale buttery yellow, is split all the way down to the base of the cup, creating six segments that lie flat against the six tepals. Each of these segment are bi-lobed and frilled.

Narcissus 'Stainless' is a division 2 (Large-cup) daffodil that grows to 60cm tall (2ft). The tepals are bluish white, broadly ovate (egg-shaped with a wider base) blunt at the tip, with a noticeable midrib (vein down the middle of a tepal). The corona is bowl-shaped and shallow, wavy, and also bluish white. These large, cool-tone white flowers can reach 9.5cm in width.

Narcissus 'Thalia' is a division 5 (Triandrus) daffodil. There are typically 3-4 pure white, sweetly smelling flowers per stem that hang slightly downwards. The tepals are narrow and inflexed (bent or curved inward lengthwise). The corona is long, cup-shaped with a straight mouth and a wavy rim. Introduced in 1916, it is known as a good perennializer, and is best used is small clusters in the fronts of garden borders.

Narcissus 'Toto' is a division 12 (miscellaneous) daffodil, that is considered a dwarf at less than 30cm (1ft) tall. Each stem has 1-3 flowers (5.5cm wide) that are star-shaped and give an overall creamy-white appearance. The tepals are an ivory white, narrow, and spreading to reflexed (bent backwards), while the corona is cylindrical, opens a primrose yellow and matures to a creamy white. Because of its diminutive size, 'Toto' is a very sweet addition to containers, the fronts of borders, rockeries, and any other place it can be appreciated up close.

Narcissus 'Tripartite' is a division 11a (Split-Cup Collar) daffodil. The flowers, typically 2-3 per stem and 6.5cm wide, open with both tepals and corona a greenish-yellow. As the bloom matures, the tepals grows paler while the corona deepens in color and develops a honey-yellow staining at the very center. The corona is split about two-thirds down with each segment shorter than the tepals and with notches. The corona sits against the tepals, but lifts away so that they are not touching.

Narcissus 'Yazz' is a division 7 (Jonquilla) daffodil that has 1-5 flowers per stem, and only grows to about 30cm (1ft) tall. Creamy white tepals surround an apricot yellow-orange corona with a contrasting pink rim. The white tepals have a yellow staining at the base, a prominent midrib (vein down the middle of a tepal). The margins (edges) are wavy and curled inward, giving it a ruffled appearance. The corona is bowl-shaped, with an expanded mouth, and a notched rim.