Daffodils (Narcissus) are recognized flowers that mark the transition into spring. These perennial bulbs, celebrated for their trumpet-like shape, emerge reliably each year. While often associated with a singular, bright hue, the genus Narcissus encompasses a surprisingly diverse and vibrant palette, resulting from centuries of cultivation and hybridization.
The Core Palette: Yellows and Whites
The foundational colors of the daffodil spectrum are yellow and white, representing the most traditional and widespread varieties. Yellow ranges from the palest lemon to rich, saturated gold, providing a depth of color. Cultivars display tones from soft, creamy yellow to brilliant, deep buttercup shades.
White daffodils often appear in pristine, snow-white hues, though some may carry a subtle, creamy undertone. White provides a striking contrast and is frequently used as the base for bicolored varieties. In some cultivars, yellow pigment fades as the flower matures, causing a pale yellow bloom to transform into a near-white shade.
The white and yellow pigments are often combined, with the outer petals (perianth segments) being one color and the central cup (corona) being the other. This creates the classic two-toned look that defines many popular varieties.
Accent Colors and Combinations
Beyond the core yellows and whites, the daffodil color range expands with accent colors that appear mainly in the central corona. Orange is a common accent, ranging from soft apricot and peach tones to brilliant, fiery shades of vermillion and near-red. These intense colors are often concentrated on the rim of the cup, creating a dramatic halo against a white or yellow perianth segment.
Pink is a desired color, typically appearing as a salmon, rose, or apricot shade within the cup. This color often develops best in cooler spring temperatures and can deepen as the flower ages, sometimes starting as yellow or peach before maturing into a distinct pink hue. Pink cultivars frequently feature a white perianth segment with a soft, peachy-pink cup, such as the heirloom variety ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’.
Green is a subtler accent color, usually found near the base or throat of the corona, often in varieties with white perianth segments. This coloration is a natural feature in types like the Poet’s Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus), where a small cup displays a green “eye” surrounded by a red rim.
Understanding Daffodil Color Coding
The vast array of colors and combinations is formally cataloged using a standardized system developed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This classification system concisely describes a daffodil’s color by dividing the flower into two main regions: the perianth (petals) and the corona (cup or trumpet). A color code is assigned to each cultivar using letters to denote the colors present in each region.
The color code consists of letters for the perianth, followed by a hyphen, and then letters for the corona. The following letters represent the different hues:
- W (White)
- Y (Yellow)
- G (Green)
- O (Orange)
- P (Pink)
- R (Red)
For example, a daffodil coded as “W-P” indicates a white perianth with a pink corona. When multiple colors exist in a region, the code may list up to three letters, describing the color distribution from the inner zone outward or by the predominant color. This coding system allows growers and enthusiasts to accurately describe the color pattern of any one of the thousands of registered daffodil hybrids.