Breeding is the creation of new species. With the Narcissus, this is done by smearing the pollen of one species onto the pistil of another narcissus.

The pollen grows through the pistil to the ovary. This is hidden in the bulge that you can find at the back of the flower. The white balls that you see in the ovary are the still unfertilized seeds of the daffodil.

If these fruiting principles are fertilized by the pollen they will grow into small black seeds over the next 6 to 8 weeks. When they are fully grown the ovule dries up and bursts open. You should always pay close attention now because if the bud bursts open the seed will pop out and you will lose it.

Save the seeds and sow them early in the fall, about 1 centimeter deep in normal garden soil.

This is how it emerges from the ground in the spring.

The seed then needs to be cared for for 5 years before you have Daffodil bulbs large enough to flower.

This is what my Daffodil seedlings look like after growing them for 5 years, no flower is the same.

Of course you hope to find something you have never seen before. I find this daffodil that bloomed for the first time this year quite special, at the end of its trumpet it has a graceful edge of lace.

The most amazing seedling I have won is “The Godfather”, a large and unbelievable daffodil. The diameter of the flower can reach over 15 centimeters.

If you like this I recommend you to try it too, the daffodil is a grateful flower to breed with. If you fertilize a few daffodil flowers with the pollen of another species, a few will certainly give seed.

Good luck,

Kind regards,

Carlos van der Veek