Daffodil Growth Stages

Reproduction

• Daffodils grow either from divided roots, also called bulbs, or from seed. Flowers grown from bulbs are clones of their parent plant, while seeds produce new plants. The daffodil has seedpods located just behind its petals. These pods swell after booming. If a pollinator – an insect or the wind – brings pollen from another daffodil, seeds will form in the pod. The pod ripens and the blossom dries and falls off.

Germination

• The fertilized, dropped seed typically falls to the ground and germinates if conditions are conducive. Gardeners also can harvest and germinate the seeds to produce new daffodils. The seed needs a cool, damp environment for a month before planting. Germinate the seeds by planting them in well-drained soil, keeping them at room temperature, and giving them drinks of lukewarm water.

Establishment

• Daffodils grow at a moderate pace. At full maturity, they reach 1 to 3 feet tall. During the first three years they establish their root systems and grow long, slender, green chutes that eventually will surround a central stem with a flowering blossom. The flowers grow upright and tend to clump together. The initial bulb will have tinier bulbs grow beside it over time. Gardeners typically dig up and separate the bulbs each winter to keep the individual plants large and healthy and to reproduce the daffodils.

Blossoming

• Daffodils don't begin to bloom until their third or fourth year of life. When a plant reaches blooming maturity, its blooming season spans from six weeks to six months, depending on climate and growing conditions. The blossom is usually yellow or white and a star-shaped blossom surrounds a center circle or cup of petals. The leaves remain green even after blooming, and gardeners typically deadhead the blossom to harvest the seeds. Leaves eventually yellow. Bulbs go dormant during the winter months until after the last frost.