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Daffodil planting zones

Daffodil (Narcissus) is a perennial. By the type table below, at least one type lives through winter in the ground in 3a–9b; outside those zones, none of the types on this page is rated. Below the types are the dates its year turns on: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.

Published October 27, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which daffodil to grow

Type Hardy in the ground Notes
Trumpet and large-cupped daffodils Narcissus Divisions I and II (e.g. ‘Carlton’, ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Mount Hood’, ‘Fortune’) 3a to 8b, then too little winter Penn State says daffodils overwinter in zones 3 through 8, and NC State rates the genus 4 to 8. Clemson names these among the large-flowered daffodils that are reliable perennials in the South, if divided every three or four years.
Jonquilla daffodils Narcissus Division VII (e.g. ‘Baby Moon’, ‘Pipit’, ‘Quail’, ‘Sweetness’) 5a to 9a, then too hot or humid Small, fragrant yellow flowers, two to six to a stem, with rush-like leaves; Clemson says they grow reliably throughout South Carolina.
Tazetta daffodils Narcissus Division VIII (e.g. ‘Avalanche’, ‘Geranium’, ‘Erlicheer’) 7a to 9b, then too hot or humid Clusters of small, very fragrant flowers in mid-to-late winter. Clemson says they need no chilling, which suits warmer areas, and that some are hardy only on the coast.
Poeticus daffodils Narcissus Division IX (e.g. ‘Actaea’, pheasant’s eye) 4a to 9a, then too hot or humid One of the few late-blooming daffodils that do really well in warm climates, and they tolerate damp soil (Clemson).

Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. “Too little winter” means the type needs winter chill the warm zones do not give it. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges.

Zone by zone

Where daffodil lives through winter, and when the freezes fall

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.

Zone Types hardy in the ground Last spring freeze First fall freeze
3a 1 of 4 only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b 1 of 4 May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26
4a 2 of 4 May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30
4b 2 of 4 May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3
5a 3 of 4 May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7
5b 3 of 4 May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14
6a 3 of 4 May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20
6b 3 of 4 April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24
7a 4 of 4 April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28
7b 4 of 4 April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3
8a 4 of 4 March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10
8b 4 of 4 March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18
9a 3 of 4 March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2
9b 1 of 4 February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17
10a 0 of 4 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b 0 of 4 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a 0 of 4 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b 0 of 4 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured.

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 4 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Which daffodils for your zone

Penn State Extension says the daffodil is a hardy bulb that overwinters in USDA zones 3 through 8, and NC State Extension’s plant toolbox rates the genus 4 to 8. Daffodils are sorted into 13 divisions by flower form, from trumpet and large-cupped to jonquilla, tazetta and poeticus (Penn State, NC State, University of Missouri Extension).

Clemson Cooperative Extension calls daffodils the most successful of the popular spring bulbs for naturalizing in the South. It says jonquil hybrids, tazetta hybrids, poeticus and species daffodils grow reliably throughout South Carolina, and that large-flowered, trumpet, double and late-blooming daffodils must be chosen carefully, since many do not perform well in the warmer parts of the state. It names ‘Carlton’, ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Mount Hood’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Saint Patrick’s Day’ and ‘Scarlet O’Hara’ among the large-flowered daffodils that are reliable perennials in the South.

Tazettas need no chilling period, Clemson says, which suits them to the warmer areas of South Carolina and to forcing indoors; some are hardy only on the coast. The paperwhite is a tazetta grown indoors for winter flowers, and has a page of its own, linked under Related plants.

When to plant daffodils

Penn State plants daffodils from October through early November, before the ground freezes, so they build a strong root system, and says cooler nights help them start rooting. Missouri says daffodils need time to root before the soil freezes, so planting before mid-October is generally best, and in areas where cold weather arrives late, as late as Thanksgiving may still give good results. Clemson plants daffodils in October or November in South Carolina, earlier than its other bulbs.

The zone table on this page gives the median first fall freeze for every half zone from NOAA records. The ground freezes later than that first freezing night, so daffodils in by your row’s date are on the safe side of Penn State’s and Missouri’s advice.

Planting daffodils

How deep: Penn State says soil over the top of the bulb should equal twice the bulb’s height. Missouri sets the base of the bulb about 6 inches below the surface, about 8 inches in light soils. Clemson plants daffodils 6 to 8 inches deep, less for small species bulbs, and NC State says 8 inches. Clemson warns that sparse blooms can be caused by planting too shallowly.

Spacing: Penn State typically spaces daffodils 4 to 6 inches apart, Clemson 3 to 6 inches by size, and Missouri 6 to 12 inches, closer for a quick display that will need digging every three to five years. NC State plants groups of at least six in sweeping masses.

Missouri calls good drainage the most exacting need of daffodils: in poorly drained spots bulbs weaken, fail to flower and rot. It works the soil about 10 to 12 inches deep, and says never to put fertilizer directly in the bottom of the hole, where a high concentration can kill new roots and encourage bulb rot. Clemson wants at least six hours of sun a day while the plants are in leaf.

Supplies

Supplies the sources mention

Each link opens an Amazon search for a plain kind of product, not one we picked. We have not tested these, and we do not rank them.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and changes nothing on this page: the dates are NOAA’s and the advice is the extension services’. Affiliate disclosure

Feeding and watering

Missouri says daffodils do not need heavy feeding. It fertilizes established bulbs lightly each spring as the leaves come through the soil, scattering a handful of garden or bulb fertilizer around each clump and washing off any that lands on the leaves. Daffodils need good moisture to flower well, so water after planting and through a dry fall, and keep the bulbs fairly dry once they go dormant in summer, Missouri says; do not plant them in beds watered heavily in summer.

After the flowers fade

Leave the leaves. Penn State says they are still feeding the bulb for next spring, so wait until they are brown and dead before cutting them, and that braiding or folding them only cuts the leaf area doing that work. Missouri leaves the foliage undisturbed for eight weeks after bloom and says tying the leaves together reduces the food the bulb stores. Remove the faded flower heads to stop seed forming (Missouri, NC State).

Missouri plants daffodils among daylilies, ferns or other plants that partly hide the dying leaves while still letting them feed the bulb.

Dividing daffodils

Missouri says daffodils need dividing only every five to 10 years if they were not planted too close, usually when flowering falls off or the flowers get smaller; Clemson divides large daffodils every three or four years. Dig while the dying leaves can still be seen so you can find the bulbs, Missouri says, with a spading fork to avoid bruising, and keep the bulbs out of the hot sun.

Missouri spreads the dug bulbs in shallow trays in a cool, well-ventilated place for several weeks, never piled up, then separates the offsets that come away easily and keeps them in a cool, dry place in shallow trays or porous sacks until fall planting. NC State says clumps can be divided just after the foliage dies back.

Why daffodils stop flowering

Clemson names bulbs rotting in wet soil, overcrowding, heavy shade, planting too shallowly and cutting the leaves too soon in spring. Missouri says bulb rots are perhaps the most frequent cause of disappointment, and to plant firm, well-cured bulbs and avoid over-fertilizing, especially with nitrogen or manure.

Daffodils and animals

Clemson says animals rarely eat daffodil bulbs. Minnesota says narcissus bulbs are poisonous, and University of Illinois Extension says daffodils are toxic to squirrels and chipmunks because of the alkaloid lycorine. NC State’s plant toolbox rates daffodils medium in toxicity, says the bulbs are the most poisonous part, and warns that handling the bulbs, flowers and stems can cause a skin rash.

Common mistakes

We found no Florida, Texas, Louisiana or Alabama source for daffodils that we could read. Southern advice on this page is Clemson’s, for South Carolina.

Questions

How deep should daffodil bulbs be planted?
Penn State says soil over the top of the bulb should equal twice the bulb’s height. Missouri sets the base of the bulb about 6 inches deep, 8 in light soils; Clemson says 6 to 8 inches, less for small species bulbs.
Which daffodils come back in the South?
Clemson says jonquil hybrids, tazetta hybrids, poeticus and species daffodils grow reliably throughout South Carolina, and names ‘Carlton’, ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Mount Hood’ and ‘Fortune’ among large-flowered daffodils that are reliable perennials there.
When should I divide daffodils?
Missouri divides every five to 10 years, when flowering declines, digging while the dying leaves can still be seen. Clemson divides large daffodils every three or four years.
Do deer and squirrels eat daffodils?
Clemson says animals rarely eat daffodil bulbs, and Illinois that daffodils are toxic to squirrels and chipmunks because of the alkaloid lycorine.
Should I fertilize daffodils?
Lightly. Missouri scatters a handful of garden or bulb fertilizer around each established clump in spring as the leaves come up, and says daffodils do not need heavy feeding.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 27, 2026

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