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wild_forager

Multi-headed Daffodil?

wild_forager
16 years ago

I bought 5 daffodil bulbs a month ago and planted them. They have all come up (though the neighbrohood kids chopped the first 4 to come up to pieces). But strangely the fifth one to come up must have split, and sent up two stalks. I realize thats normal, but each stalk has 2 to 3 flower heads on it. I've never seen this before, and the flower heads are very small and not yellow like my other daffodils were. Also, the flower buds before bloom looked very odd, though I can't describe it. Here are some pictures. Is this normal? Whatever it is might be genetic because the two divisions have the same issue.

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Comments (11)

  • MissMyGardens
    16 years ago

    I got a bunch of these in a mixed bag of daffodils I planted last fall. They're different, delicate and look nice in a vase with singles. Some are pale yellow with bright yellow centers and others have more orange centers.

    Since I wasn't naturalizing in a field or anything I'll never buy another bag of "mixed" daffodils. I certainly didn't visualize a mish-mash of heights and all the other flower variables. Live and learn.

    Now I just have to decide when to move them in a more pleasing planting arrangement. They're not in the right places to easily interplant with perennials and annuals to hide dying foliage and achieve 3 season interest in garden.

    Luckily it's small and in back of house so it only bothers me to no end and nobody else cares. They were just amazed I got anything to flower...LOL.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    16 years ago

    There are about a zillion different forms and cultivars of narcissus - I'd have to say that the standard yellow ones (i.e., King Alfreds or other trumpets) are probably even in the minority :-) What you have is a cluster flowering narcissus and there are many - tazettas, triandrus, most of the doubles and some of poeticus narcissus will produce multiple flowers on a single stalk or a cluster of flowers. The pictures are too small to detect specifics but these are very common, often fragrant and I find them far more appealing than the rather coarse looking (by comparison) trumpet narcissus.

  • Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
    16 years ago

    Hi wild_forager,

    I can't get your pics to load this AM (operator error-me-maybe?) but saw them yesterday. I think they might be Cheerfulness, a Division 4 (double) daffodil.

    Cheerfulness at Brent and Becky's Bulbs

    Below is a link to the different Divisions of Daffs.

    Sue...a daff lover

    Here is a link that might be useful: Daff Divisions per the American Daffodil Society

  • wild_forager
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for the info everyone! It was supposed to be a regular yellow one flower bulb, but apparently it got mixed up somehow.

  • gardenlova
    10 years ago

    in my garden I have planted 10 daffodil bulbs and 8 of them have come up as multi headed. I would like to know if they are common, and if they only come in a small form?

    Thanks
    Gardenlova

  • iris_gal
    10 years ago

    Triandus, Jonquilla and Tazettas all have the multi-bloom heads. Fairly common here.

    Check out Chermocurl's link.

  • bri Kirby
    5 years ago

    I planted bulbs 2yrs ago and last year the flowers were as usual single headed flower but this year very late to flower and seem to be triple flower coming out what are thoughts?

  • posierosie_zone7a
    5 years ago

    I'm thinking you planted a mix and the later flowering daffodils didn't flower until this year. I really like the late flowering ones as they extend the season and are dainty. If your daffodils are not reliably flowering each year, look at your conditions (too wet / too dry?) and maybe throw some fertilizer at it to help store up energy for next year's flowers.

  • 100_ HOLLOW _001
    4 years ago

    Wait, is that not normal? All of the daffodils that grow in my front garden have four or five heads on them, and are white. I didn't buy them, they were just sort of always there. Is it not normal?

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    4 years ago

    There are hundreds and hundreds of different narcissus cultivars. Many are multi headed. Many are white. The bulbs look pretty much the same so when they're not in flower it's more or less impossible to tell them apart. The bulbs inevitably get mixed up sometimes either at the growers, the packers or the bins at the garden centre. Without pictures there's no chance of identifying them.