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Key characteristics

Family: Amaryllidaceae
Height: 14 to 18 in
Flower color: Pure white petals with a small golden-yellow cup edged in red to orange-red
Foliage color: Blue-green to medium green, narrow strap-shaped leaves
Bloom time: Mid to late spring
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low, remove spent flowers to prevent seed formation, allow foliage to yellow and die back naturally before removal
Growing zone: USDA zones 3 to 8
Wildlife: Occasional visits from bees and other spring pollinators

Bulbs

Narcissus 'Actaea'

Poet's Daffodil

Narcissus 'Actaea' bears crisp white flowers with a small, flattened cup edged in soft red, creating a refined look in spring gardens. Slender, blue-green foliage forms neat clumps that stay attractive through the bloom season, supporting graceful stems that hold each blossom upright. The overall effect is clean and classic, making this long-lived variety a dependable presence in seasonal displays.

This poeticus-type daffodil blooms in mid to late spring with single, open-faced flowers well suited for borders, cutting gardens, naturalized meadows, and woodland edges.

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Under Trees
Woodland Gardens
Containers

Companion plants

Hostas · Ferns · Creeping phlox · Columbines · Lungworts · Daylilies

Design tip

The early flowers arrive when the garden is still waking up, so give it a spot you pass often in spring. Drift them in uneven groups for a natural look, and interplant with perennials that fill the gap after the leaves die back.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)