How to Display Daffodils

09/23/25

Written By House Digital

Famous for their vibrant yellow displays, daffodils mark the beginning of the spring season. As an indicator that the sun is on the way, daffodils, or narcissus plants, are particularly popular amongst colour lovers and make for mesmerising bouquets displayed around the home.

So, if you’re keen to liven up your living space once the spring cleaning is quite literally done and dusted, consider presenting some of these flower plants in vases. Here at Johnsons, we’ve got plenty of advice on how to display daffodils. We’ll be talking you through cutting them from your garden and letting you know how long daffodils last in a vase.

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Cutting Your Daffodils

To enjoy the longest vase life for your daffodils, we’d recommend cutting them from your flower garden when they’re showing coloured buds that are yet to fully open. You may know this as the ‘gooseneck stage.’ Once you’ve selected your daffodils for displaying, take a pair of shears and cut your daffodils’ stems just above their base.

Condition Your Daffodils

In case you didn’t already know, it’s important to note that daffodils exude a sap, which can be detrimental to the health of other flowers if displayed in a mixed bouquet. For this reason, you’ll need to condition your daffodils.

You can do this by putting them in cold water for three to six hours. Once they’re drained of their toxic sap, remove the daffodils from the water before cleaning and refilling your vase. You can now safely add your daffodils to mixed bouquets without concern for the health of your other flowers.

How to Display Daffodils

When it comes to creating the most dazzling displays out of your daffodils, we’ve got a few tips to keep in mind when curating your arrangements.

Let’s start with the obvious: choosing the right vase. If you’re arranging smaller blooms, use a smaller vase, or risk your bouquet appearing less full and underwhelming.
To give your arrangement layers, experiment with trimming the stems at different lengths, introducing different dimensions to your bouquet.
Combine your daffodils with other spring flowering blooms to curate unique displays that flaunt the best of your garden. We’re particularly fond of pairing daffodils with tulips, primrose plants and pansy plants.

How Long Do Daffodils Last in a Vase?

Typically, you can expect your daffodils to last between five days and a week in a vase before dying. However, there are ways in which you can take extra care to prolong their life.

So, if you’re keen to prolong your daffodils’ vase life, there are some steps you can take to keep them healthy for longer. First of all, we’d suggest not keeping your vase in direct sunlight—displaying daffodils in a cooler location can slow down ageing. You should also change their water frequently to weaken the impact of bacteria, always replacing it with cold water.

Order Narcissus Bulbs from Johnsons

So, now that you’ve got a better idea of how to display daffodils around the home in vases, it’s time to start growing your very own. You’ll be glad to know that here at Johnsons, we have a variety of narcissus bulbs which you can grow into your very own daffodil display just in time for spring. Take a look at our flower bulbs as well as our gardening essentials and look forward to bringing new life to your indoor space.