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Track down rare, centuries-old bulbs. This article supplements Kathy Purdy’s Fall 2026 article, A Bulb for the Ages, in Northern Gardener magazine.
STORY KATHY PURDY
What’s wildly fragrant, a stunning spring surprise and rich in legacy? Heirloom daffodils, and they’re worth growing at home. Looking to grow some of your own? Here are two ways to get them.
Digging and dividing daffodils
Do you have daffodils sending up leaves but not flowers (growing blind)? When the leaves have turned yellow and flopped over, carefully dig and lift the clump. I like to use a garden fork for this and start a few inches away from the visible leaves. Move the clump to a wheelbarrow or a tarp where you can gently pull the bulbs apart. If the clump is really dry, soak it in a bucket of water for half an hour or so, then spray with a strong stream of water.
You will probably have more bulbs than you can use. Replant the largest ones immediately about 6 inches deep and apart. You can also let the bulbs dry and replant in the fall when you would typically plant daffodil bulbs. It takes two to three years for the bulbs to build up enough strength to flower. You won’t know what you have until then.
This grouping of Narcissus ‘Van Sion’ is coming together well after digging and transplanting bulbs.
If you have a friend with heirloom daffodils who is willing to share, you can use this same procedure to acquire some for yourself. Never dig bulbs without permission from the landowner. You could be charged with trespassing and stealing.
Where to buy heirloom daffodils
The definition of a historic daffodil is that it was registered in 1940 or earlier. To get a list of historic daffodils, visit daffseek.org/alternate-query, enter 1940 as the year registered, check the “or earlier” option and submit query. This will give you a list of all historic daffodils. Not all of them are for sale, of course.
Three retail websites make it easier for you to find historic daffodils by creating a separate section for them:
Have fun shopping!
If you want to match daffodils to the year your house was built, you can use the same DaffSeek search engine. Just substitute that year for 1940.
Kathy Purdy is an award-winning garden writer in upstate New York. She’s currently writing at kathypurdy1.substack.com.
kathypurdy1.substack.com
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