'Golden Ducat' Daffodil Bulbs

Narcissus 'Golden Ducat'

Golden Ducat daffodil bulbs present a stunning whorled and layered golden bloom in bright yellow with pointed petals for spring delight.

Like all the bulbs in our Naturalising Mix, they are easy to grow and will naturalise readily in a wide range of settings and soils. The flowers last for up to four weeks and are excellent for cutting.

• Group 4: Double Daffodil
• Height up to 70cm
• Spread 15-20cm
• Dark green foliage
• Lightly scented
• 2-5 years to mature

Plant Care

Plant the bulbs in autumn (August-November) at around twice their own depth, in a sunny or partially shady spot. They can be planted in clumps, but be careful not to plant too closely or flowering may be reduced. Spacing of around 8-12cm is ideal.

Daffodils prefer well-drained, moderately fertile soils but are very forgiving of a wide range of soils and pH including clay, chalk, loam, and sand. However, over-watering and waterlogged soils can lead to bulb rot, so it's best to avoid boggy earth and shady hollows.

The layered golden flowers can appear singly or in doubles on the stems in early spring (February-March) and will last well into the season. They can be deadheaded when the flowers die back. The flowers will come on better in subsequent years if you let the leaves fall back into the grass and don't tidy them up too soon.

When planting in containers, place the bulbs in pots at a depth of around 5cm in a loam-based compost in early autumn. Keep the pots outdoors in a cold frame until the new shoots appear, then transfer to a greenhouse. As soon as the buds open they can come indoors or move to their outdoor positions.

Look out for...

Daffodils are susceptible to slugs as well as Narcissus yellow stripe virus, basal rot, large narcissus fly and bulb and stem eelworm.

'Golden Ducat' flowers are heavier than some daffodils so you may need to consider supports for the double blooms.

Daffodil sap can be a skin irritant so handle all Narcissus with care. They are poisonous to eat so don't mix them up with the onions!

Did you know...

Narcissus 'Golden Ducat' is a "sport" of Narcissus 'King Alfred', and was registered by Speelman and Sons (a Dutch firm) in 1946.

A sport is a sudden variation in a plant that makes it different from others of its kind. It is caused by an instant mutation in the genes of the originator plant, and can happen naturally or be induced by a range of methods that interfere with the plant's genetic processes. Insects, viruses, even the weather can affect the plant's DNA and occasionally this leads to an exciting new form - such as the double-flowers of this daffodil.

It's not unknown to come across a sport by chance in your own garden - if so you can contact the RHS: nurseries and breeders are always looking for new plant forms and you may be rewarded for your discovery.

'Golden Ducat' is in RHS Division 4, which characterises daffodils that have double blooms; thus all Division 4 Narcissi are sports - or "mutants", as botanists prefer to call them!