Narcissus Golden Ducat Daffodil Bulbs

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit 1978

Plant Narcissus Golden Ducat daffodil bulbs in autumn before the first frost, and in mid-spring they begin to flower. An award-winning heirloom variety, Golden Ducat is prized for its large 4- to 5-inch fully double blooms packed with pointed petals saturated in golden yellow, set against a backdrop of good-looking grey-green leaves. Typically borne one or two per long, slender stem, the flowers rise to a mature height of 14 to 16 inches. Nicely fragrant, these golden nuggets make excellent cut flowers for dazzling spring bouquets.

A Narcissus variety, commonly called daffodil, Golden Ducat has an upright, clumping habit and fast growth rate. Golden Ducat bulbs multiply and naturalize easily, with the plant's long, strappy leaves and beautiful blooms reappearing year after year, possibly for decades, in ideal conditions with adequate space, sunlight, water, and fertilizer. Daffodils look their best planted in groups or masses in mixed beds, borders, and containers. Plant in large sweeping drifts in open woodland areas, in masses under deciduous trees, and in smaller groupings in front of shrubs. Daffodil flowers mix well with ground covers and other spring-blooming bulbs in the garden but can also be forced for indoor blooms in winter.

A cold hardy (to Zone 3) bulbous perennial, Narcissus Golden Ducat is so easy to grow and maintain it's virtually foolproof. Daffodils prefer areas with cool winters and warm, dry summers, but they grow well in most USDA Hardiness Zones if there is a discernable winter. The plant grows best in sunny to partly shady locations with rich, fertile, well-draining soil having a neutral to acidic pH. When planting Golden Ducat bulbs, allow adequate space between bulbs and plant them at the proper depth—8 inches apart and 6 inches deep. Water daffodils during the growth period, but keep in mind, bulbs do not like wet feet. For robust flowering during the current season as well as the following spring season, feed bulbs with a well-balanced fertilizer, such as Espoma Organic® Bulb-tone® Bulb and Flower Food, as soon as growth begins in spring. After flowers bloom, allow foliage to die back naturally and cut back once fully faded. Golden Ducat daffodils are relatively pest-free and deer resistant.

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