In 2014, Daffodil Hill sprang into bloom in mid-April as the temperature on some days reached the low 70s. In recent years the garden's daffodils have bloomed from early March to mid-April.  Depending on the particular cultivar, daffodils in general bloom in early, mid-, or late spring. 

Daffodils (Narcissus) come in an enormous variety of colors and forms.There are single- and double-flowered types, ruffled and smooth. Plant height ranges from 4 to 20 inches, with blooms varying from miniature to 5 inches across. Colors can be the usual yellow, deep yellow, two-tone soft yellow and white, or blooms with white, and pink, red, or orange contrasting cups. Some are fragrant. Once established, daffodils naturalize well and are resistant to deer damage.

Daffodils are classified horticulturally as a trumpet type of narcissus. They are sometimes called jonquils, a term reserved for the species Narcissus jonquilla and similar plants. They belong to the amaryllis family. Although there are only about two dozen species in the genus, there are thousands of named cultivars.

Narcissus was named for the handsome son of a river god and a nymph, who according to Greek mythology fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and pined away until he was transformed into a flower--leaving us with both the name of the narcissus and the term narcissism.

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- Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service