Division 2: Large-Cupped Daffodils

Large-cupped daffodils are the largest and most popular group of garden daffodils. Over half of all registered narcissus cultivars are this type. A search of any bulb catalog or website will usually show more large cupped daffodils than any other type.

Large-cupped daffodils,division 2 of the narcissus classification system, are also referred to as long-cupped or long-crowned daffodils.Like trumpet daffodils,large-cupped narcissus bulbs produce one large flower per stem.

The difference between large cups and trumpets in daffodil flowers can sometimes be hard to distinguish at first glance. In large-cupped daffodils the cup is longer than one-third but shorter than the length of the petal segments.

Most of the daffodils in the large-cupped narcissus group are great naturalizers,meaning they will grow and multiply without much intervention from the gardener. Plant them in a wooded area or in a large group on the edge of your lawn and they have the appearance of wildflowers.They are also good bulbs for the flower border.

Most gardeners will be able to find a large-cupped daffodil that will do well in their climate.Here are some popular large-cupped daffodils that you can order now to plant as soon as they arrive:

Large-Cupped Daffodil Bulbs

California Large-Cupped Daffodil
California is an improved version of the popular Carlton daffodil which was first sold in 1927. California has a long cup that almost qualifies as a trumpet. Like Carlton,the golden, vanilla scented California daffodil should do well in Southern gardens. California daffodils bloom in the early spring.

Riot Large Cupped Daffodil
Riot is a brand new daffodil for 2009.Its coral pink cup lays almost flat against the white petals. Unlike most large cup daffodils,Riot is a late season bloomer. This narcissus would look beautiful planted with tulips or grape hyacinths.

Curly Large Cupped Daffodil
Curly is an unusual daffodil with a dark yellow,almost orange,ruffled cup and bright white petals. A mid-season bloomer, Curly is a newer variety and is sometimes called "Amadeus Mozart."

Large Cupped Daffodil Ice Follies
Ice Follies was introduced in 1953 and has since become one of the most popular daffodils in the world. Its open,pleated corona(cup)flares outward and lays flat against the crisp white perianth(petals).The cup starts out lemon yellow and eventually fades to a soft ivory. Ice Follies produces a long lasting flower that holds up well to harsh late winter weather. This daffodil is very early blooming,sometimes blooming in February in Zone 7 and as early as January in Zone 8.

Next up: Division 3,the Small-cupped daffodils

The King Alfred Trumpet Daffodil:The True Story

The King Alfred Trumpet daffodil was the first trumpet daffodil to be widely sold commercially. It was developed in the late 19th century by John Kendall,an English attorney and hobbyist plant breeder. Daffodil breeders had been developing trumpet daffodils for years but none had the most desired qualities of a huge trumpet and very large flowers.

Kendall died in 1890 so it is believed that the King Alfred daffodil dates to around that time. He never saw the first bloom of the flower that was named for Alfred The Great,the medieval English king. The first official record of King Alfred was in 1899 when it was registered with the Royal Horticultural Society.

The King Alfred trumpet daffodil produced a sensation among narcissus lovers. King Alfred had huge golden yellow flowers sometimes measuring four inches or more across on a plant that often reached two feet in height. The long, flaring trumpets protruding from slightly twisted petals were unlike anything ever seen among daffodil flowers. It was a big departure from older types like jonquils,paperwhites and pheasant's eye.

By the early 1900s the original hundred or so bulbs had multiplied enough for King Alfred to be sold commercially. When it was introduced to the North American plant trade,the new trumpet daffodil was a huge hit. Growers all over the United States scrambled to produce the bulbs in great enough numbers to ensure there would be plenty to be sell to home gardeners.

While America was falling in love with the new King Alfred daffodil,horticulturalists in Europe took the bulb and began to improve it, producing newer cultivars that had even bigger,longer lasting and more symmetrical flowers on stronger stems. By the 1920s only a few nurseries were still growing the true King Alfred.

Americans were very attached to the name King Alfred because because it was the first and only trumpet daffodil that they had ever known. The name "King Alfred" was never trademarked in any country so in the U.S. in particular King Alfred became the generic name for all yellow trumpet daffodils.

Even bulbs that date to the 1920s or 30s are likely to actually be newer varieties such as Golden Harvest or Dutch Master even though they were probably sold as King Alfred. To add to the confusion some botanists believe that nearly all of the original King Alfred bulb stock in North America was wiped out by a viral disease before the middle of the century.

Even today many plant retailers continue to sell daffodil bulbs carrying the King Alfred name.This raises the obvious question,"Is my daffodil the real thing?" The unfortunate answer is probably not, unless your bulbs are heirloom plants that come from a garden that dates to the turn of the 20th century.If you've bought daffodil bulbs sold as King Alfred in the last few years,especially if you bought in bulk or at a budget price,they are almost certainly not the real thing.

So does the true King Alfred daffodil still exist at all? The answer seems to be yes. King Alfred can still be found growing in old gardens and among the plants of collectors. There are a handful of bulb producers in Holland who still grow the real King Alfred in order to keep it from becoming extinct. Very few of the bulbs are still offered for sale though.

McClure and Zimmerman in Wisconsin sells small quantities that they order direct from the grower in The Netherlands. (I'm not affiliated with McClure and Zimmerman in any way. I do buy bulbs from them though.)

So,if you just found out the King Alfred trumpet daffodil bulbs your grandmother thought were the real deal probably aren't,don't be too disappointed. Since King Alfred is the ancestor of all trumpet daffodils even modern varieties have at least a little royal chlorophyll in them.

Trumpet Daffodils Are A Must For The Early Spring Garden

Trumpet Daffodils,Division 1 of the 13 types of narcissus, are probably the most recognized member of the narcissus family. In fact, if I asked you to close your eyes and think of a daffodil I'll bet the picture in your mind would be of a huge yellow trumpet daffodil. If you're looking to plant daffodils this autumn, make sure to include at least one  trumpet daffodil in your garden.

If you're new to growing daffodils the good news is that trumpet daffodils are among the easiest to grow even if you've never grown flowering bulbs before. Although they are more suited to cooler climates than warmer areas  trumpet daffodils will bloom reliably in most gardens.

Even in hot southern coastal areas trumpet daffodils can be grown as annuals by giving the bulbs a cold treatment. This simply means putting them in the refrigerator in a paper bag for a few weeks before planting in the garden. Make sure you don't store fruits like apples and pears in the fridge with your daffodil bulbs. Fruits give off ethylene gas which could kill the bulbs.

A trumpet daffodil by definition has a trumpet that is at least as long as one of the petals(perianth.) The trumpet can be long and skinny or so wide that it almost hides the petals. The trumpet usually flares at the end. Trumpet narcissus flower sizes range from large like Dutch Master to the miniature W.P. Milner. Standard plants will reach 16-18 inches in height and miniatures usually grow 6-10 inches high.

Large trumpets daffs like the ones featured here can range widely in size depending on soil and weather conditions but there are things you can do do get larger flowers. If you have heavy soil make sure to loosen it as much as you can by adding amendments like greensand
and incorporating plenty of organic matter at planting time. I have also found that daffodil bulbs respond well to a feeding of kelp meal
which contains lots of the trace minerals that daffodil bulbs love and helps to feed micro organisms that oxygenate the soil.

Planting too shallowly is the most common reason for daffodil flowers that are too small,especially in warmer areas. Try to plant at least 6 inches deep if possible. If your soil is heavy make sure you plant at least 4 inches deep or your daffodil bulbs may not bloom at all. If you have to plant large bulbs less than 6 inches deep expect smaller flowers.

There are a few exceptions but trumpet daffodils are generally early bloomers. In my garden they begin blooming in February and continue until mid March. In the North they will probably bloom in April or earlier if the weather is warm.

Although trumpet daffodils are not the best performers in my garden I wouldn't be without them and the following varieties have done well for me. If you live in a colder zone they should bloom even better for you and will probably produce very large flowers.

Yellow Trumpet Daffodil Dutch Master
Dutch Master is the classic Yellow trumpet daffodil that has been a garden favorite since 1938. It is the successor to the famous King Alfred. Dutch Master can have flowers 4-6 inches wide under the right conditions.

White Trumpet Daffodil Mount Hood
Mount Hood is the best performing trumpet daffodil in my Zone 7 garden. The flowers start out a faint lemon yellow and mature to ivory white. It produces a robust flower that holds up to spring rains.Named after snow capped Mount Hood in Oregon,this white trumpet daffodil was first introduced in 1927.

Trumpet Daffodil Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a beautiful bi-color daffodil that will bloom reliably in all but the hottest areas. The trumpet is bright golden yellow and the perianth (petals) is creamy white.

The three daffodils here and many other types can be ordered now from  Holland Bulb Farms. Time is getting short so make sure you order soon for the best selection.



* A Note about affiliate marketing: Most of the product links on All About Daffodils are affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you click on them and order. It doesn't affect the price you pay in any way but if you don't like the idea of a blogger recommending products for money you can go straight to the site to order. I strive to only refer my readers to quality products and I have ordered from most of these merchants myself and have been satisfied with the products and service I received.

Next, I'll tell you more about Division 2- Large-cupped daffodils.

The 13 Types Of Daffodils

Today I'm going to do a quick run through of the 13 types of daffodils that you can grow in your garden. It's time for most gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere to begin planting flowering bulbs or at to begin choosing and buying them. I'll go into more detail on the different daffodil divisions in my next few posts but for today I'll name the different types so you'll know what to look for when choosing narcissus bulbs for your garden.

The Daffodil Society recognizes 13 divisions of daffodils including 12 types of hybrid daffodils and one division for specie or wild daffodils.

Also it's worth noting that miniature narcissus types do not have their own division. Each of the 13 divisions has miniature cultivars except for the Poeticus division.

Division 1
Trumpet Daffodils
One flower to a stem; corona (trumpet) as
long as, or longer than, the perianth
segments (petals).

Division 2
Large-Cupped Daffodils
One flower to a stem; corona (cup) more
than one-third but less than equal to the
length of the perianth segments (petals).

Division 3
Small-Cupped daffodils
One flower to a stem; corona (cup) not more
Than one –third the length of the perianth
segments (petals)
These daffodils usually have some poeticus parentage

Division 4
Double Daffodils of Garden Origin
One or more flowers to a stem, with doubling
of the perianth segments or the corona or both.

Division 5
Triandrus Daffodils
Characteristics of N. triandrus predominant:
two or more pendent flowers to a
stem; perianth segments reflexed.

Division 6
Cyclamineus Daffodils
Characteristics of N. cyclamineus clearly evident:
one flower to a stem; perianth segments significantly reflexed;
flower at an acute angle to the stem, with very short pedicel (“neck”)

Division 7
Jonquilla Daffodils
of Garden Origin
Characteristics of Jonquilla or Apodanthus clearly evident:
one to five flowers to a stem; perianth segments spreading or reflexed
flowers usually fragrant.
Apodanthus is not a term that is used frequently these days.They used to be considered a different type of narcissus from the jonquils but they are now classified in the same division. These daffodils are usually highly hybridized and tend to also have some tazetta parentage.

Division 8
Tazetta Daffodils of Garden Origin
Characteristics of the N. tazetta group predominant:
three to twenty flowers to a stout stem; leaves broad;
Perianth segments spreading, not reflexed; flowers fragrant.


Division 9
Poeticus Daffodils
Characteristics of the N. poeticus group predominant:
disc-shaped, with a green or yellow center and one flower to a
stem; perianth segments pure white corona usually a red rim; flower fragrant.
These daffodils are also known as Poet's Daffodils or Pheasant's Eye

Division 10
Bulbocodium Daffodils of Garden Origin
Characteristics of Bulbocodium clearly evident;
usually one flower to a stem; perianth segments insignificant
compared with corona; filament and style are usually curved.
Bulbocodium daffodils are also known as "hoop petticoat"or "hoop skirt" daffodils

Division 11
Split Corona Daffodils of Garden Origin
Corona split-usually for more than half its length; Division split into
a & b types, Collar & Papillon
a. Collar Daffodils
Daffodils with the corona segments opposite the perianth segments;segments usually in two whorls of three.
these are also referred to as Butterfly daffodils
b.Pappillon Daffodils
Split-corona daffodils with the corona segments alternate to the
perianth segments; the corona segments usually in a single whorl
of six

Division 12
Other DaffodilCultivars
Daffodil cultivars which do not fit the definition of any other division.
These are daffodils whose parentage cannot be easily traced. Some may be naturally occurring hybrids

Division 13
Species DaffodilsDistinguished Solely by Botanical Name
All species and wild or reputedly wild variants and hybrids.

Whew! That's a long list! Sorry I didn't post any pictures. The new Blogger editor is not linking to images for me right now. Hopefully they'll fix this soon.(Or I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong LOL!)

Also I did not post a link to the bulbocodium daffodils because it appears that there is a shortage of those this season. I couldn't find any for sale. I'll keep searching. Edit:Found Bulbocodium "Golden Bells" at Nature Hills.Inserted link.:)

In the next few days,I'm going to go more into depth about the different daffodil types and some of the terminology you might encounter when you're shopping for bulbs. And I'll try to get some pictures to upload,too.