Daffodil Depot

At right is a picture of the famous daffodil King Alfred. As you can see it is a beauty, a classic gold trumpet daffodil with sweeping propeller petals.

Every fall a magic trick of stunning proportions is performed. While only a single hectare (about 2.5 acres) of King Alfred is cultivated in Holland, millions of bulbs labeled "King Alfred" are sold in the US. For a variety of reasons King Alfred has effectively been retired for many years.

Dutch Master is a well-known gold trumpet that is in large production, but its early-fading, smaller, nodding flowers make it, for us, a distant also-ran.

There are, however, many good choices when you need the classic beauty of a gold trumpet daffodil. Below are three stong and desirable, true-to-name varieties you should consider. We call them together "The Gold Standard."

Carlton

Carlton is a yellow largecup daffodil, and it is grown in mass quantities in Holland and Great Britain. It is used for picking and forcing and is one of the most inexpensive daffodils on the market. If you want to paint parts of the spring landscape yellow and you want that color to be there for many years plant this daffodil--it won't let you down. Carlton is a great perennializer that also does well in southern climates.

Gigantic Star

Gigantic Star: Big, strong, early, perennial. Gigantic Star is what you could call a meat-and-potatoes daffodil. Carlton is one of its parents, which explains its durability and why it grows well both North and South. We're always surprised at the size and vigor of this plant.

Marieke

It looks like Marieke will be the best option for a yellow trumpet in the near future. Good varieties like Unsurpassable are slowly disappearing from cultivation due to virus problems, and Dutch Master (still produced in large quantities) has never been equal to the other trumpets because of its smaller flowers and early-fading blooms. Marieke has beautifully proportioned, very fragrant and exceptionally long lasting flowers.