Daffodil 'Thalia'
Narcissus 'Thalia' · Amaryllidaceae
Two or three pure white, scented flowers with swept-back petals nod on each stem. Called the orchid narcissus.
- Size
- 14 in tall, 6 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid April to early May
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around daffodil 'Thalia'
The planner designed this bed around daffodil 'Thalia' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why daffodil 'Thalia' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 3, pink
- 2 Leadwort × 15, blue
- 3 Foxglove beardtongue × 3, white
- 4 Tatarian aster 'Jindai' × 4, purple
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Caucasian scabious 'Fama' × 3, blue
- 7 Daffodil 'Thalia' × 8, white
- 8 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
Why this plant
- The only trumpets. The others are open bowls, dense clusters, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
Why here
- In the middle. At 14 in it stands ahead of foxglove beardtongue (3½ ft) without hiding it.
- 8 plants in 2 groups (5 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From mid April to early May.
- Opens the season. In all that time nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- Leaves gone by midsummer. They die back and leave bare ground. A perennial that comes up late stands beside it, and grows over the gap.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by Tatarian aster 'Jindai' and foxglove beardtongue, the tallest plants on the plan. The bed is tied together by its repeats: two kinds come round again along it, leadwort and Tatarian aster 'Jindai'.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where daffodil 'Thalia' goes in a border
At 14 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The most elegant white daffodil, raised in 1916. It flowers late and looks well with blue: grape hyacinths, brunnera and forget-me-nots.
- White gardens in spring
- Partnering with blue flowers
- Scent and cutting
What to plant with daffodil 'Thalia'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Grape hyacinth: in flower together for four weeks, from mid April; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it.
- Lady's mantle: takes over when it finishes, flowering from late May; grows up in time to hide its dying leaves.
- Virginia bluebells: in flower together for four weeks, from mid April.
Questions about daffodil 'Thalia'
Does daffodil 'Thalia' need sun or shade?
Daffodil 'Thalia' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does daffodil 'Thalia' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does daffodil 'Thalia' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid April to early May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Early May to late May |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Late April to mid May |
| Zone 5 | Mid April to early May |
| Zone 6 | Mid April to early May |
| Zone 7 | Early April to late April |
| Zone 8 | Late March to mid April |
| Zone 9 | Late March to mid April |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should daffodil 'Thalia' be planted?
4 in (10 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6 in (15 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 14 in (35 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many daffodil 'Thalia' plants do I need?
At 4 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 107 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 31 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 343 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is daffodil 'Thalia' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the bulbs, cause vomiting if eaten, and large amounts can affect the heart. The sap can irritate skin.
Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like daffodil 'Thalia'?
These come closest to doing what daffodil 'Thalia' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Checkered lily: the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; a bulb layer, not a drift, wants moist soil.
- Grape hyacinth: the same flowering time; a bulb layer, not a drift, 8 in shorter.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What can I plant to hide daffodil 'Thalia''s leaves after it flowers?
A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:
- Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, a recorded partner, in flower late May to early July.
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.
- Garden chrysanthemum: 24 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower mid September to late October.
What does daffodil 'Thalia' look like in winter?
Daffodil 'Thalia' is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.
More Narcissus
- Daffodil Narcissus
- Daffodil 'Dutch Master' Narcissus 'Dutch Master'
- Daffodil 'February Gold' Narcissus 'February Gold'
- Daffodil 'Ice Follies' Narcissus 'Ice Follies'
- Daffodil 'Jetfire' Narcissus 'Jetfire'
- Daffodil 'Tete-a-Tete' Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete'
- Jonquil Narcissus jonquilla
- Poet's daffodil Narcissus poeticus
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Bulb
- Size
- 14 in (35 cm) tall, 6 in (15 cm) wide
- Plant
- 4 in (10 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid April to early May; trumpets; white
- Leaves
- Fine texture, summer-dormant; green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
Checked against ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.