In English gardens by 1200, this is the dancing wildflower of Wordsworth’s poem and colonial gardens. It grows without care from Maine to California but is most loved in the Upper South, thriving in pastures and woods where homes once stood. Traditionally called “Easter flower” in the US, it’s very early blooming, with a narrow yellow trumpet and lighter petals that sweep forward gracefully. 13 Y-Y, 10-12 inches, zones 5-8bS/10WC, from Texas. Chart to compare.

This fragrant charmer looks like a miniature, multi-flowered, soft yellow pheasant’s eye. The child of a wild jonquil and N. poeticus, it has rounded petals of palest yellow and a small, flat, golden cup that’s banded with deep orange. It’s named for a Scottish songbird and its fragrance – as you might guess from its parents – is heavenly. 7 Y-YYO, 8-12 inches, zones 6b-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

So many of you asked for this sweet-scented, apricot beauty that we kept knocking on doors till we found the one last Dutch farmer growing it. Its form can be unruly, but its apricot shading and light, enchanting perfume have won it many fans. Named for the remarkable mother of one of the most revered leaders in Dutch history. 2W-YYP, 18-20 inches, zones 4-8aS/10WC. Chart to compare.

This vibrant Victorian was born in Ireland and named for the Archangel himself. Look with your imagination and you’ll see a reflection of heavenly wings in its long white petals and a hint of what’s to come in its fiery cup. From our good friend Josephine Dekker of North Holland – who you may have seen profiled in the April 2006 Gardens Illustrated. 2 W-YOO, 16-18 inches, zones 5-7S/9WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

With all the intensity and glamour of a Hollywood star, this early-blooming Australian has a brilliant lemon-to-orange cup that’s extravagantly ruffled and frilled. “Turning around” daffodils from Down Under so they bloom in spring up here is an expensive process, so only the best are chosen – and ‘Marjorie’ definitely made the grade. 2W-YYO, 18-20 inches, zones 5-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

True stock! One of the most popular doubles of the 20th-century, ‘Mary’ combines a flurry of creamy white petals with shorter, frilly bits of lemon, orange, and tangerine. She’s livelier and more informal than her sister ‘Irene’ – though apparently this wasn’t the case in real life. For Mary’s true story, sent to us by her niece in England, click here. 4 W-O, 16-20 inches, zones 4-7S/9WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

Celebrated in gardens for over 400 years, ‘Maximus’ or ‘Trumpet Major’ is an especially fine form of N. hispanicus with a wild, primeval look. Its trumpet is boldly scalloped and flared, it’s petals make a dramatic star, and it lifts up its face as if worshipping the sun. It’s been treasured by Elizabethan, Victorian, and Arts and Crafts gardeners alike – and now it’s your turn! 1 Y-Y, 14-16 inches, zones 5-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

This “enduring, sweet-scented” narcissus “deserves more respect and popularity,” says Thad Howard in his expert Bulbs for Warm Climates. Passed along for centuries, it’s often the first tazetta of the new year, with narrow, pointed petals that make its blossoms look like fistfuls of stars. 8 W-Y, 20 inches, zones 8-9S/10WC, from Alabama. Chart to compare.

Swans-Neck, Goose-Neck, Silver Bells — if you’re looking for that elusive Southern heirloom, we can’t promise that this form of N. moschatus is 100% identical, but probably even your granny couldn’t tell the difference. It’s short and sweet, with creamy white blooms that nod demurely, the epitome of spring. Aka N. cernuus, 13 W-W, 10-12 inches, zones 5-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.

Known for decades as THE pink daffodil, ‘Mrs. R.O. Backhouse’ is one of the landmark bulbs of the now-vanished 20th century. She’s more truly ivory and apricot, but so beautiful – a veritable sunrise for those who watch closely – that most modern pinks can’t hold a candle to her. For her enduring beauty, vigor, and place in history, we honored her as our Fall 2005 Heirloom Bulb of the Year. 2 W-P, 16-18 inches, zones 4-8aS/10WC, from Holland. Chart to compare.