Carlton daffodils bring unshakeable spring cheer with their solid yellow blooms and elegant, large cupped form. This hybrid perennial thrives in hardiness zones 3 through 8, reaching 10 to 14 inches tall with flowers appearing 100 to 109 days after planting. Deer and rabbit resistant, Carlton naturalizes beautifully in beds and containers, attracting pollinators while asking for little more than full sun and well-draining soil. Once established, these bulbs return reliably year after year, a testament to the breeding work that created this dependable classic.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-8
14in H x ?in W
—
Moderate
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Carlton produces pristine yellow flowers with large cups that seem to glow in mid-spring light, blooming reliably across a wide hardiness range from cold zone 3 winters to zone 8 warmth. The solid color and generous cup size make each flower a showstopper compared to smaller-cupped or bicolor daffodil varieties. Its natural resistance to browsing deer and rabbits means you'll actually get flowers instead of nibbled stems, and it attracts pollinators with genuine vigor.
Carlton daffodils serve primarily as spring ornamentals, excelling in flower beds where they can naturalize and multiply over several seasons. They perform exceptionally well in container gardening, allowing gardeners with limited space to enjoy their cheerful blooms up close on patios and near entryways. In landscape design, they work as bold borders, massed plantings for dramatic color impact, and cutting flowers that brighten indoor arrangements with their clean yellow trumpets.
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Plant Carlton bulbs in fall, roughly six to eight weeks before your first hard frost, giving roots time to establish before winter. Set bulbs pointy-end-up at a depth of about six inches, spacing them six inches apart in garden beds or containers. Water immediately after planting to settle soil around the bulbs.
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“Carlton is a hybrid daffodil developed through deliberate crossing to enhance the large cupped form that daffodil breeders had long pursued. The cultivar emerged from a breeding program focused on creating reliably hardy, floriferous daffodils suited to temperate gardens across North America and Europe. Its success lies in the careful selection of parent plants for vigor, color saturation, and cold hardiness, resulting in a variety that has remained in cultivation and commerce for generations of spring gardeners.”