Appearance

Growth form

This bulb-forming perennial grows about 1–1.5 ft (30–45 cm) tall and forms clumps of narrow gray-green leaves.

Flowers

A stem usually carries one flower with a long yellow trumpet. The outer parts may be yellow or pale, and the trumpet is about as long as or longer than those outer parts.

Flowering time

In western Washington, it flowers in March and April.

Fruit

The fruit splits when mature and releases seeds.

Look-alikes

bunch-flowered narcissusNarcissus tazetta

Wild daffodil usually has one yellow flower per stem and a trumpet at least as long as the surrounding petal-like parts. Bunch-flowered narcissus typically carries several flowers on one stem.

Why they get mixed up · Both are commonly grown spring bulbs in the genus Narcissus.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• open woods
• roadsides and fields
• old home sites

Range

Native to western Europe, it has naturalized in the eastern United States and also occurs in parts of the South and Pacific Northwest.

Preferred conditions

It grows best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Bulbs can rot where soil stays very wet.

Flowering

Flowers Mar–Apr

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Flowers

Flowers Mar–Apr

Growing it

Propagation

Garden clumps are commonly divided to make new plants. Seed-grown plants can take several years to flower.

Toxicity

All parts contain poisonous substances, usually most concentrated in the bulb. The bulbs have been mistaken for onions.

Connected species

Pollinators

• beesAnthophila

  Bees pollinate this daffodil in western Washington.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Many trumpet daffodil cultivars trace back to this species. A garden bloom may be a cultivar or hybrid, so flower color alone may not identify it to species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed