Narcissus bulbocodium 'Arctic Bells' (10)

RHS Plant Profile
hoop petticoat daffodil 'Arctic Bells'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Narcissus bulbocodium 'Arctic Bells' (10)?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
Bulbs
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
6 Suppliers

A dwarf daffodil to 17cm high, with very narrow, dark green leaves. Flowers are fragrant and pale creamy yellow, with a funnel-shaped corona and narrow, pointed outer petals. Flowers over a long period from early spring. Suitable for naturalising

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eatenskin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, tortoises): Harmful if eatenskin irritant. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Narcissus are bulbous herbaceous perennials with linear leaves and leafless stems bearing flowers, which may be solitary or in umbels, with 6 spreading perianth segments and a cup or trumpet-shaped corona
Name Status
Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Bulbocodium daffodils usually have solitary flowers, with insignificant perianth segments compared with the dominant, usually broad funnel-shaped corona

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant bulbs at one and a half to two times their own depth in autumn. Will tolerate most soils but prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is constantly moist during the growing season. See daffodil cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by division, removing offsets as the leaves fade in early summer, or by chipping. See bulb propagation for more detailed advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

Deadhead as flowers fade. Allow the leaves to die down naturally

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, large narcissus bulb fly, narcissus eelworm, and bulb scale mite on bulbs forced for early flowering

Diseases

May be susceptible to narcissus basal rot, narcissus leaf scorch or daffodil viruses