Yellow daffodil

Focal flower · Amaryllidaceae

Daffodil

Narcissus spp.

Also known as Narcissus and Jonquil

The emblem of early spring, traditionally associated with rebirth and new beginnings.

Colour: Yellow

Traditionally, rebirth, hope, and cheer.

Use in a bouquet All flowers

Toxic to cats and dogs. Read the pet-safety note

Peak season
Feb–Apr
Vase life
4–6 days
Birth month
March
Colours
3

What the daffodil means

Daffodils bloom at winter's end, so they have long stood for rebirth, hope, and new beginnings. The genus name recalls Narcissus of Greek myth, the youth who fell in love with his own reflection, and Victorian flower dictionaries sometimes read the narcissus as egotism while the daffodil stood for regard. The daffodil is a national emblem of Wales, worn on St David's Day, and cancer charities in several countries use it as a symbol of hope. It is also a traditional flower for a 10th wedding anniversary.

Flower meanings come mostly from Victorian floriography, and they vary between books, eras, and cultures.

Often sent for

  • Get well
  • Birthday
  • Just because
  • Thank you

By colour

  • Yellow Traditionally, rebirth, hope, and cheer.
  • Pale yellow Often given for gentle encouragement.
  • White Associated with new beginnings and fresh starts.

Keeping it fresh

Late winter to spring; forced stems reach florists from January.

  1. 1 Cut daffodils ooze a sap that shortens the life of other flowers; stand them alone in water for 12 to 24 hours first.
  2. 2 After conditioning, add them to mixed arrangements without recutting, or the sap will flow again.
  3. 3 Buy them at the goose-neck stage, when buds show color and bend over but have not yet opened.
  4. 4 Use cool water and change it every couple of days.

Pet safety

  • cats Toxic
  • dogs Toxic
  • horses Toxic

ASPCA lists daffodil as toxic (lycorine and other alkaloids): vomiting, drooling, diarrhea; large amounts can cause tremors and heart rhythm problems. Bulbs are worst.

Source: ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plants. If a pet eats any plant, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435.

Birth flower · March

March's flower, often listed as the daffodil or jonquil.

Choose “Birthday” in the studio and pick March — the daffodil leads the bouquet.

Did you know

Wordsworth's poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' was inspired by daffodils he and his sister Dorothy saw beside Ullswater in 1802.

Pairs well with

Make your own daffodil bouquet

Pick a vase, add a card, and share the link — no delivery van, no wilting.

Open Flower Studio