Shorter daffodils trial results 2022–2023

Objectives and purpose of the trial

This trial focused on shorter Narcissus (daffodils) cultivars. This was the first trial to focus on shorter daffodils (under 35cm tall) for garden cultivation rather than for pots or troughs. The RHS Trials team wanted to identify daffodils that made an impactful display in a small space. The performance of a range of cultivars was assessed and compared, those that performed best were awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Shorter daffodils growing in the trial beds March 2022
Narcissus ‘Yellow Sailboat’ grown in a pot in the Trials Garden

What is an RHS Award of Garden Merit?

The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is intended to help gardeners choose plants that are likely to perform well, and is only awarded to plants that are:

  • Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions
  • Available
  • Good constitution
  • Essentially stable in form and colour
  • Reasonably resistant to pests and diseases

Judging criteria

The following factors were all taken into consideration as part of the judging of the trial:

  • Impact
  • Balance of flower to foliage

  • Length of flowering
  • Health and vigour

Shorter daffodil AGM winners

This bright and sunny daffodil display showcased the shorter varieties of this iconic spring plant. Bulb fly damage, plus the alkaline pH of the soil led the forum to decide to focus on the healthy bulbs in an entry and not to judge existing AGMs on their performance in this trial. As a result, the judges were able to grant 12 new AGMs and retain 15 AGMs, updating the list of existing AGMs to reflect the current availability of the best shorter daffodils to buy for garden use.

For flower impact, ‘More and More’ lived up to its name, producing more than 70 flowering stems in the second year. ‘Pixie’s Sister’ also showed good increase in flowering and ‘Crofty’ and ‘Yellow Sailboat’ made substantial shows of flower in both years.

Rosalyn Marshall, Trials Project Manager

Why the AGM was awarded

New AGM winners with forum comments and hardiness ratings

Narcissus ‘Angel’s Whisper’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Standing beautifully, habit balanced with healthy prostrate foliage and thin, upright stems, holding well. Later flowering and more delicate than the similar ‘Angel’s Breath’. Increased well. Variable to begin with but evened out later on and flowered for a long time. Robust in the garden and good for pots. Prefers acidic soil
  • Average height: 16cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Chappie’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Pretty, with two flowers per stem. Only a few flowers displayed in the second year due to bulb fly damage. Those that have come back are outstandingly beautiful
  • Average height: 20cm
  • Flowering time: Mid to late season, April to May

Narcissus ‘Crofty’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Stands out, impactful. Upright and uniform, with masses of flowers held well above the foliage. Healthy and vigorous. Flowers facing downwards
  • Average height: 25cm
  • Flowering time: Early to mid-season, March to April

Narcissus ‘Englander’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Very attractive, has impact. Foliage is nice bright green and in proportion with the flowers. Sparse in the first year. Very similar to ‘Mite’, the forum noted that ‘Englander’ had perianth* segments separate at the base, corona wider, bulging near the base, greener on reverse. The perianth segments of ‘Mite’ overlap at the base and the corona was narrower
  • Average height: 15cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Medway Gold’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Lovely. Delightful tiny flowers. Good clumps, showing extraordinary increase with lots of grass-like foliage, neat and in proportion. Stood upright better in the second year. Very sweetly scented. Brilliant for a container, small trough or rockery
  • Average height: 10cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Moonlight Sensation’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Looks great, healthy with masses of flower. Multi-stemmed bulbs. Good vigour and flower colour. Flowers emerged unevenly but evened out later. Good garden plants and a good pot subject. Strongly scented
  • Average height: 20cm
  • Flowering time: Mid to late season, April to May

Narcissus ‘More and More’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Fantastic. A late flowerer, flowering well. In proportion. Follows on from the similar ‘Medway Gold’, extending the season. Very sweetly scented. Prefers alkaline soil
  • Average height: 12cm
  • Flowering time: Mid to late season, April to May

Narcissus ‘Snipe’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Elegant and delicate. Foliage healthy. Attractive flowers, a good colour with star-shaped perianth*, flowering for a long time. An effective clump, showing lots of increase. Standing up and performing well. Prefers acid soil
  • Average height: 15cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Tête Bouclé’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Superb. A good garden plant. Fully double flowers of good substance held above and in balance with the foliage. Highly impactful, upright and tidy. Masses of flowers both years of the trial. Increased well. Also makes a good pot plant
  • Average height: 18cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Tiny Bubbles’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Has impact. Healthy. Masses of double- or treble-headed flowering stems. Lovely, elegant flowers on small plants. Mixed heights of flowers looks untidy, you don’t see the individual shapes. Showed good increase. Strongly scented
  • Average height: 15cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Winter Waltz’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Has impact and stands out. Attractive, even and well-balanced with a good number of flowering stems per bulb. Flowers held above the foliage with smooth perianth* segments and contrasting unusual apricot trumpets, fading over time. Showing increase. Lightly scented. Useful for front of border or in pots
  • Average height: 25cm
  • Flowering time: Early to midseason, March to April

Narcissus ‘Yellow Sailboat’ AGM (H6) 2023

  • Forum comment: Superb display. Floriferous, good show with excellent impact. Foliage neat, healthy and not dominant. Sherbet, soft lemon yellow flowers. One to three heads per stem and some bulbs with eight stems. Uneven heights. Lots of increase. Fewer florets per head in second year, feeding would increase this. Sweetly scented
  • Average height: 25cm
  • Flowering time: Midseason, April

*Perianth relates to the outer part of a flower, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and corolla (petals).

Retained AGMs due to environmental conditions

Environmental conditions unevenly impacted the second year performance of some trial entries, and the judges decided not to reassess the 15 existing AGM plants in the trial, so these awards are retained.

  • Narcissus ‘Angel’s Breath’ AGM (H6) 2011
  • Narcissus ‘Cornish Chuckles’ AGM (H6) 2007
  • Narcissus ‘Eaton Song’ AGM (H6) 2001
  • Narcissus ‘Elka’ AGM (H6) 2011
  • Narcissus ‘Hawera’ AGM (H6) 1996
  • Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’ AGM (H6) 1995
  • Narcissus ‘Jetfire’ AGM (H6) 1995
  • Narcissus ‘Mite’ AGM (H6) 2001
  • Narcissus ‘Pixie’s Sister’ AGM (H6) 1996
  • Narcissus ‘Sailboat’ AGM (H6) 2006
  • Narcissus ‘Small Talk’ AGM (H6) 2009
  • Narcissus ‘Sun Disc’ AGM (H6) 1996
  • Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’ AGM (H6) 1993
  • Narcissus ‘Toto’ AGM (H6) 1997
  • Narcissus ‘Twinkling Yellow’ AGM (H6) 2008
Judging of the shorter daffodil trial at RHS Wisley in March 2022
Forum judging the shorter daffodil trial at RHS Wisley in March 2023

AGMs rescinded

For this shorter daffodil trial, no existing RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) selections lost their AGM.

Plants and location

What was planted?

A total of 64 different selections of shorter daffodils were planted and grown for assessment. These were all sourced and submitted by breeders and growers from the UK and Netherlands.

Where was it planted?

Carefully selected shorter daffodil bulbs were planted out in dedicated trial beds in the Trials Garden at RHS Wisley, Surrey. Here are some considerations for planting out shorter daffodils in the ground:

  • Daffodils prefer a sunny spot in fertile, well-drained soil
  • Avoid planting daffodils in waterlogged soil and deep shade
  • Smaller types are ideal at the front of borders or naturalised in short grass

  • Daffodils are usually best planted in bold groups, rather than individually
  • Try growing in cut-flower beds, for vibrant blooms to brighten up your home in spring
  • Plant a range of species for flowers from February through to early May

Daffodil facts

The daffodil is considered the national flower of Wales, but was originally from southern Europe and North Africa. Daffodils also include a native British species, Narcissus pseudonarcissus. Centuries of cultivation have created a stunning variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. The RHS is the International Registration Authority for Narcissus, you can search the database for daffodils and find out more about their characters and origins.

Cultivation

Planting process

The daffodil bulbs arrived during autumn 2021 and were examined to record whether they were single or double-nosed varieties. The soil analysis indicated good levels of nutrients in the soil.  
 
The bulbs were then planted out in the trial beds in October 2021. Sixteen bulbs of each entry were planted in a 4 × 4, 30cm2 blocks using bulb planters. Some very large bulbs were spaced more widely, in 40cm2 blocks. Each entry block was spaced 45cm apart and staggered to allow space for leaves to flop. The beds were mulched with strulch (this was topped up in the second year), which was laid more thinly over the squares of bulbs.

The daffodils were deadheaded after all the flowerheads in that entry had gone over, to improve the look of the trial. After flowering and before the leaves died back, the bulbs were fed with fertiliser applied with water at a 1 in 100 rate. Entries were watered in dry periods as they went over. Once the leaves died back, the holes left by the bulbs leaves and flowers were filled by raking and pushing, to slightly compress the soil. This was to limit Narcissus bulb fly access to the bulbs.

Rogues (a plant that is different from the standard variety) were removed over the course of the trial, and one entry Narcissus ‘Miss Muffit’ was removed completely after the first year due to presentation of virus in the leaves of each bulb.

How plant health was managed

Soil analysis

The pH of the beds was recorded to be 8.4 and 8.3 in September 2021, reducing to 7.4 and 7.8 when the analysis was repeated in February 2023. Some of the entries into the trial were known to prefer a more alkaline pH (Narcissus ‘More and More’ and Narcissus ‘Twinkling Yellow’), while others required acidic soil to persist (Narcissus ‘Angel’s Whisper’, Narcissus ‘Hawera’ and Narcissus ‘Snipe’). This meant that performance was not consistent across all entries.

Challenges

There was poor performance recorded in a number of usually reliable entries in year two, with many bulbs in some entries developing just grassy foliage and no flowers. Small Narcissus bulb fly were discovered to be attacking the bulbs in high numbers.

Small Narcissus bulb fly are common throughout the UK and are thought to attack bulbs that are already damaged. The infestation could have been exacerbated by the shelter of a nearby hedge. Enviromesh netting has been used on previous daffodil trials to prevent the flies laying eggs from May to July, however the late flowering season of some of the daffodils meant flies were already present before the end of the years assessments.
 
Narcissus ‘Little Oliver’, Narcissus ‘Toto’ and Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’ did not reappear in the second year.  

Weather

Over the time the bulbs remained in the ground, they were exposed to the hottest recorded temperature at RHS Wisley (hottest temperature of 38.6°C on 19 July 2022) and the coldest start to a winter since 2010 (lowest temperature -8.1°C occurred on 15 December 2022). Overall, there were 47 days with air frost recorded from December 2022 to April 2023, and meant the start to the season was slow. Most entries flowered a week or more later in the second year.

Discoveries

While carrying out the trial, a lot of time was spent observing the plants, and details were noticed that did not relate to the formal trial assessment. Here are some of the interesting findings from the trial:

2022–2023

After digging up a daffodil bulb from the trial, it clearly showed signs of damage caused by the small Narcissus bulb fly.

2022

The RHS Trials Team put on a display as part of the Daffodil Show at RHS Wisley, to showcase the diversity of flowers and encourage show visitors to go and see the trial.

2023

The trial provided the opportunity for some tricky nomenclatural problems to be studied and resolved. Narcissus ‘Mite’ and Narcissus ‘Englander’ were grown side-by-side and some consistent differences were recorded, backing up a study that took place in 2000. We were also able to show that Narcissus ‘Lemon Sailboat’ is also mis-named and is identical to Narcissus ‘Yellow Sailboat’.

Did you know?

Daffodil bulbs are toxic and can cause stomach upset if eaten. Easily mistaken for onions, to avoid confusion, store them in labeled bags and keep them out of onion-growing areas.

Who was involved?

Judges of the trial

The shorter daffodil judges met four times a year in the spring of 2022 and 2023 to assess the plants from the first to the last flowers. The trial judges consisted of 10 invited experts, including horticulturalists, garden writers, bulb trade experts, combining members of the RHS Bulb Expert Group, RHS Alpine and Rock Garden Expert Group and RHS Herbaceous Plant Expert Group.

The shorter daffodil judges included: Christine Skelmersdale (RHS Bulb Expert Group), Ray Drew (RHS Alpine and Rock Garden Expert Group), Sam Everiss (Horticulturist, RHS Hyde Hall), Fergus Garrett (Great Dixter Head Gardener, Horticultural Educationalist), John Gibson (Bulb expert), Julia Jarman (Horticulturist), Jim McGregor (RHS Alpine and Rock Garden Expert Group), Anna Pavord (Garden writer), Cathy Rollinson (RHS Herbaceous Expert Group) and Johnny Walkers (Daffodil expert).

Suppliers to the trial

List of plants in the trial

View all the cultivars of shorter daffodils trialled at RHS Wisley
  • Narcissus ‘Elka’
  • Narcissus ‘Ice Baby’ (syn. ‘Snow Baby’) 
  • Narcissus ‘Little Alfred’
  • Narcissus ‘Fuco’
  • Narcissus ‘Roundita’
  • Narcissus ‘Small Talk’
  • Narcissus ‘W.P. Milner’
  • Narcissus ‘Miss Muffit’
  • Narcissus ‘Tête Bouclé’
  • Narcissus ‘Tête Deluxe’
  • Narcissus ‘Angel's Breath’
  • Narcissus ‘Angel’s Whisper’
  • Narcissus ‘Fairy Chimes’
  • Narcissus ‘Hawera’
  • Narcissus ‘Moonlight Sensation’
  • Narcissus ‘Sunlight Sensation’
  • Narcissus ‘Cotinga’
  • Narcissus ‘Crofty’
  • Narcissus ‘Elizabeth Ann’
  • Narcissus ‘Englander’
  • Narcissus ‘Mite’
  • Narcissus ‘First Born’
  • Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’
  • Narcissus ‘Jetfire’
  • Narcissus ‘Katrina Rea’
  • Narcissus ‘Mother Duck’
  • Narcissus ‘Orange Comet’
  • Narcissus ‘Red Socks’
  • Narcissus ‘Snipe’
  • Narcissus ‘Tullybeg’
  • Narcissus ‘Winter Waltz’
  • Narcissus ‘American Goldfinch’
  • Narcissus ‘Bell Song’
  • Narcissus ‘Chappie’
  • Narcissus ‘Little Oliver’
  • Narcissus ‘Little Sentry’
  • Narcissus ‘Medway Gold’
  • Narcissus ‘More and More’
  • Narcissus ‘Pixie’s Sister’
  • Narcissus ‘Sun Disc’
  • Narcissus ‘Twinkling Yellow’
  • Narcissus ‘Lemon Sailboat’ (syn. of ‘Yellow Sailboat’) 
  • Narcissus ‘Yellow Sailboat’ (syn. ‘Lemon Sailboat’) 
  • Narcissus ‘Sailboat’
  • Narcissus ‘Minnowlet’
  • Narcissus ‘Bittern’
  • Narcissus ‘Cornish Chuckles’
  • Narcissus ‘Eaton Song’
  • Narcissus ‘Name Unknown 
  • Narcissus ‘Little Emma’
  • Narcissus ‘Rataplan’
  • Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’
  • Narcissus ‘Tiny Bubbles’
  • Narcissus ‘Toto’
  • Narcissus ‘Upalong’
  • Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’
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