Narcissus Bulbs That Bloom in Winter

Seasonality

• The vast majority of daffodils bloom outdoors anytime from late winter to mid-spring in the United States. Depending on latitude, they usually begin blooming in late January and February in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 and 8, or as late as early April in zones 3 and 4. A few species of daffodils naturally bloom in fall, triggered by the return of rains. Other selections that require little winter chilling can bloom around New Year's Day in zones 8 and 9.

Early Season Types

• Daffodils are not only grouped into 13 divisions based on flower form by the American Daffodil Society, but they're often discussed as to season of bloom, such as early-, mid- or late-season. For flowering in December, January or February, early-season daffodils are most likely to be blooming in winter. Moreover, early-season daffodils are more likely to reliably bloom in winter in southern latitudes, where the winters are milder and the soil isn't still frozen. Farther north, early-season daffodils don't emerge from unfrozen soil until March or early April. An unusually warm winter or sheltered, sunny garden spot can cause early-season daffodil bulbs to bloom two to four weeks earlier than average in any region.

Examples

• Some daffodil divisions tend to have cultivars that bloom earlier in the season. Cyclamineus, Tazetta and Bulbocodium daffodils bloom earlier compared to Trumpet, Triandrus, Jonquilla or Poeticus types. Look in bulb catalogs and search for daffodil varieties listed or described as "early blooming" or "very early blooming." Some references may refer to them as "very early spring flowering," even if they may technically open in late February or early March. Examples of early, more winter-blooming cultivars include Nylon, +Toby the First, Avalanche, February Gold and Rijnveld's Early Sensation. The species Narcissus pseudonarcissus blooms in January or February, according to North Carolina landscape designer Edith Edddleman.

Forcing Daffodils

• For flowering daffodils in time for a winter holiday or specific date, gardeners may force the bulbs in containers to grow and bloom indoors in a sunny window. Paperwhite narcissus does not need a cool winter treatment and may be planted in fall for bloom in time for Christmas or for Valentine's Day. Other daffodils need to be chilled for 15 weeks before a flower bud will emerge. Plant daffodil bulbs in a pot filled with soil and place it where the temperature is between 40 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit for two to four weeks. Keep the soil evenly moist. Once roots emerge from the bulbs in the soil, relocate the containers to a chillier spot -- 38 to 42 F -- for the remainder of the 15-week time frame. Then move the chilling pots to a sunny window that's about 55 to 60 F and watch the plants sprout and bloom four to six weeks later.