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Dec 11, 2023

5 Types of Reverse Bicolor Daffodils

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If you’d never heard of a reverse bicolor daffodil until now, you’re probably not alone. But it won't be long until more gardeners are talking about these unique spring flowers. Reverse bicolor hybrids are becoming more popular because they give the classic yellow-and-white daffodil a new twist. So let's dig deeper into what defines these modern daffodils. And we’ll discover five types of reverse bicolor daffodils that are increasing in demand.

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Classic yellow and white bicolor daffodils usually have white petals (perianth) with yellow cups (corona). So reverse bicolor daffodils have the opposite of classic coloring, making their petals yellow and their cups white.

However, defining a reverse bicolor daffodil is a bit more complicated than that. Here are some detailed specifications from daffodil experts:

Knowing a daffodil's ancestry and color codes isn't always necessary to recognize these unique and sometimes rare types of daffodils.

Here are a few key traits to help you identify reverse bicolor daffodils on sight:

If you want to learn more fascinating details about daffodil color codes and divisions of classification, read on!

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Identifying daffodils is much easier with the Royal Horticultural Society's classification system. This system has two main parts.

When you combine the three elements of daffodil division number, petal colors, and cup colors, you create the classification code used for each plant.

For example, the classification code (or color code) for a 2023 reverse bicolor hybrid called ‘Lord Snooty’ is 1-YYW-WWY. The numeral and initials in this code mean the following:

The placement of the daffodil division number is always first. Then a hyphen separates the division number from the perianth color initials. And another hyphen separates the perianth colors from the corona colors. Using the ‘Lord Snooty’ example from above, the following points explain the placement of the initials in the color code 1-YYW-WWY:

These codes are used widely among experienced daffodil growers, bulb suppliers, gardening organizations, and in daffodil competitions. However, for the everyday gardener, knowing the daffodil divisions is perhaps the most important thing to learn for daffodil-growing success.

Every daffodil belongs in one of the 13 daffodil divisions listed below. Each type of daffodil has growth habits that identify it, outlined in these divisions developed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

For example, daffodil division #1 states that the following traits identify trumpet daffodils:

See below for a complete list of the RHS daffodil divisions. For more details about each division, see our post, The 13 Daffodil Divisions, Explained.

The reverse bicolor hybrids fall into different daffodil divisions, so their growth habits can differ from one cultivar to the next. So knowing the daffodil divisions of each of the following reverse bicolor daffodils will help you understand what to expect from these unique plants.

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‘Avalon’ reverse bicolor daffodils have rounded petals and long frilly cups. And though this daffodil's blooms might look all-yellow right when they open, the cups soon fade to white. Additionally, ‘Avalon’ flowers have slightly curled spreading petals and trumpets with a lovely ruffle around their edges.

The ‘Avalon’ cultivar is a large-cupped daffodil that produces one bloom per stem in mid to late spring.

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The reverse bicolor ‘Flor d’Luna’ daffodil impresses with its unique blend of yellow and white. In addition, this spring flower has slightly rounded and curled petals that complement the rippled cups. And don't look away from this color-changing daffodil, or you might miss the tops of its cups turning pure white a couple of days after opening.

‘Flor d’Luna’ is a large-cupped daffodil that presents its blooms (one per stem) in mid-spring.

©Sergey V Kalyakin/Shutterstock.com

Trumpet daffodil ‘Galactic Star’ is a showy reverse bicolor variety with large blooms. Pale yellow when they open, this daffodil's flowers start fading to cream within a few days. In addition, ‘Galactic Star’ features eye-catching reflexed petals and deeply-ruffled long cups.

This pastel beauty presents one bloom per stem in early to mid-spring. ‘Galactic Star’ is also one of the most fragrant reverse bicolor hybrids currently available.

‘Lord Snooty’ is a new reverse bicolor hybrid introduced in 2023. Qdaffs.us describes this daffodil as "an Irish Lord of both trumpets and reverse bi-colors." This striking trumpet daffodil has lemon-yellow petals with white pigment near the center cup. In addition, ‘Lord Snooty’ has very long cups with frilled edges in a pale yellow and white mix.

‘Lord Snooty’ is a standard-size daffodil that blooms early to mid-spring. And the fun cultivar name alone is enough to make us want to give this new hybrid a place in the garden!

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‘Pipit’ is a miniature daffodil in the jonquilla division and has a beautiful floral scent. This reverse bicolor cultivar produces bright to pale yellow flowers with cups that quickly fade to ivory. In addition, you can expect 2-6 fragrant blooms per stem.

For such a small plant, ‘Pipit’ is a vigorous daffodil in Zones 4-8. And by "vigorous," we mean this tiny daffodil is a robust plant with hardy bulbs that multiply quickly.

The ‘Pipit’ daffodil produces flowers in mid-spring and grows up to 1 foot tall.

©Anna Gratys/Shutterstock.com

A 2011 study published in Virology Journal addressed irregular pigment loss that can happen with reverse bicolor daffodils. These types of daffodils sometimes experience changes in flower pigment called color break. When the color break occurs, the flowers develop irregular splotches and streaks.

Though the pigment changes might also create a unique and interesting bloom, the color break could be due to a daffodil virus.

So what causes color break in daffodils? According to the study, the Narcissus mosaic virus is likely the source. Fortunately, this virus didn't cause additional symptoms in the studied daffodils other than color break in carotenoid-based pigments.

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More reverse bicolor daffodil cultivars have been showing up in bulb supplier lists recently, which tells us that these hybrids are stealing the hearts of many gardeners. One such supplier, Quality Daffodils USA, features newer hybrids from 2021 and 2023. And they recently started dedicating an entire page on their website to reverse bicolor bulbs. So it's clear that these unique daffodils are gaining popularity as spring garden plants and might be for years to come.

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