Bob Huesmann's List of Show-Worthy
Daffodils for Beginners
The list that follows is an updated
version of one published in the Spring 2004 Newsletter of the
Washington Daffodil Society. The purpose of the list is to
give beginners, especially those with limited space and/or
budget, suggestions for establishing a representative collection of
100 exhibition-quality daffodils for well under $500. The 200+
cultivars included in the list can be purchased for less than $8
each, mostly under $5, and quite a few can frequently be found
free in your local society's bulb exchange. The list was
compiled basically from The Daffodil Journal (September
issue) show reports for the years 1995-2006. In most cases,
a cultivar had to appear in the show reports more often and more
consistently than others in its class in order to make the list.
Quite a few appeared at least once in the "frequent winners"
list at the beginning of each show report. Also included are a
few good exhibition cultivars which from my own experience or
that of other growers are worthy exhibition varieties, but may
have been overlooked or are just beginning to be recognized.
I dropped from the original list a few cultivars which seemed to
be appearing only sporadically and with decreasing frequency.
Gold ribbon winners 1995-2006 are noted with an asterisk. With
such a large pile of data, there are certainly errors and
omissions. Please forgive these.
Division 1:
Y/Y:
Akala*, Temple Gold*, or newer Sideling Hill for early season,
Goldfinger* for late. Complement these golden yellow types with
pastel Fresh Lime* (YYW-Y).
Y/O: Old stalwarts Corbiere* and Glenfarclas* are still shown, but Uncle Duncan and
Kamms grow smoother for me. Save your nickels and be alert
for newer cultivars in this rapidly expanding class.
Y-P: This class is hard on budgets. Although scarce and rarely
shown, partly due to rather pale colors, Girasol is extraordinarily
smooth and reasonably priced. Based on form, it is one of
my favorite "overlooked" daffodils. Reverse bicolors
Gin and Lime* and Young America frequently appear in winning
Maroon Ribbon collections.
W-Y: POPS Legacy* and Bravoure.
W-W: Silent Valley* and April Love*.
Division 2:
Y-Y: Gold Convention*, Nob Hill*, Golden Aura*, Miss Primm*,
Lemon Lyric*, Hambledon*, Lemon Sails*, Maya Dynasty*, Amber
Castle*, Highpoint* and Tristram. (These cultivars cover a
wide range of blooming seasons and include several with a white
"collar" in the perianth, so use your "Daffodils
to Show and Grow" and select carefully.)
Y-O/R:
There are many to choose from in this class, too, including
Lennymore*, Casterbridge* (YYW-O), Resplendent*, Surrey*, Fly Half*
(not big, but very consistent), Torridon*, Bunclody*, Red Mission,
Dynasty, Falstaff* and Scarlet Tanager (intermediate). The
Lochs--Maberry, Hope*, Lundie, Owskeich and More* are valued by
experienced growers. Shining Light and Mexico City*, both
registered four decades ago, are still seen in winning
collections. The newer, yet inexpensive, Irish Rum has been
a best-in-show candidate.
Y-P: Affirmation, Acumen.
Y-W: Carib Gipsy*, daydream, Goff's Caye, Grand Prospect, Lemon
Brook, Xunantunich, Helford Dawn, Coldbrook. Altun Ha* is a
bit more expensive, but it was awarded the First Class Certificate
for Exhibition in the U.K.
O-O/R: Creag Dubh*,
Red Aria*, Craig Stiehl*, Limbo, Calexico, Bailey*..
W-Y:
Newer but inexpensive Dayton Lake is very consistenly smooth,
with good color in the cup. Somewhat more expensive Holme
Fen is one of the very best with a well-colored cup.
Geometrics* is perfectly formed, but show it soon after opening
before the corona fades.
W-YYW: Calactic (late, with substance plus) is often seen in winning collections, as is the
beautiful but more expensive Newport*, W-YOY.
W-O/R: Royal Marine* (W-YOO) and must-have Conestoga* (W-GYO), which
always seems to garner several ribbons.
W-P: Fragrant Rose*, Dailmanach* and Salome* (W-PPY) are a solid foundation.
Expand from there with newer winners costing somewhat more,
including All American, Pink China (intermediate), Soprano,
Silent Pink, Berceuse*, Cherrygardens and Applins*.
W-P(rim): Rainbow*, High Society* Pink Evening and Dove Song
still appear occasionally, but I suggest to start with the newer
Notre Dame (one of my 50 "keepers") or Savoir Faire.
Both are now reasonably-priced and more likely to win consistently.
Rimski is a useful intermediate.
W-W: River Queen*, Williamsburg*, Broomhill* (easiest to grow) and Homestead*
(perhaps the smoothest).
W-GWW: Misty Glen*, Ashmore*, Regal Bliss.
Division 3:
Y-Y: New Penny*, Nonchalant.
Y-O/R: Dateline*, Centre Ville, Achduart.
Y-YYR: Triple
Crown* (essential, in my opinion), Badbury Rings, La
Traviata.
Y-W: Few availablein this class, and not often
seen, but I think Cornell and Lyrebird are worthy collection
flowers.
O-O/R: Bossa Nova, Red Sheen.
W-Y: Spindletop*, Evesham*. I like Carnearney, too.
W-WWY: Nordic Rim*,
Rimmon, Park Springs.
W-O/R: Cherry Bounce*.
W-O/R(rim): Killearnan* is essential. Other frequent winners
include Rim Ride*, Estrella* and Olathe*.
W-O/R in two zones: Purbeck*, Cairntoul, Palmyra.
W-P: None, yet.
W-W: Cool Crystal (my budget favorite, and a frequent winner overseas as
well), White Tie, High Cotton, Smooth Sails.
Division 4:
Y-Y: Elixir, Angkor, Spun Honey.
Y-O/R: Superbly formed
and consistent Crackington* (Y-O) and Muster (W-O) would be the
first two doubles I would acquire. Radjel (Y-R) is brightly
colored, early and should be more widely appreciated as either
standard or intermediate.
W-Y: Serena Lodge does well in my
area and may be the least costly show flower in this class.
W-R: Rosegarden and Fortescue.
W-P: The good ones in
this class seem a bit harder to grow for me, but some of us have
successfully grown and shown Night Music, Waldorf Astoria and
Grosvenor, all now reasonably priced. Cotton Candy (W-WYP) is
lovely: I and others think it should be more widely
appreciated.
Division 5:
Y-Y and Y-O: The
budget-priced cultivars are not frequent winners.
Y-W: Lavalier (YYW-W) is unique and an excellent collection flower,
especially if the corona rim is straight in profile.
W-Y:
Lapwing* is a frequent winner. The older Tuesday's Child
always seems to give me showable blooms. W-W: Ice
Wings*, Sunday Chimes*. But don't hesitate to collect
Spring Chimes, Mission Bells or Sabrewing if you find them in
your bulb exchange. I think the newer Celtic Wings should be
more widely grown.
W-P: Akepa.
Division 6:
Y-Y:Rapture* Rapture* and ...Rapture*. For useful variations in form,
try Wings of Freedom*, Swift Arrow and Warbler.
Y-O/R: Jetfire* and Itzim are still useful, and Flint Arrow seems to pop up
fairly often in winning collections. I like the graceful American
Robin, a somewhat larger flower which has retained the lovely
cyclamineus form but with a right-angle pose. I also like
Whang Hi. It is so very consistent, shaped much like the
historic Beryl (W-YYO), which should be in every collection.
Y-W: Lemon Silk*.
W-Y: Trena*, Phalarope*.
W-P: Of the
many available, Foundling*, Cotinga, Lilac Charm, Reggae, Kaydee,
Carib and, certainly, others may be shown.
W-P (rim):
Elizabeth Ann*. Stony Brook* (W-YYP) and Katrina Rea (W-WOO),
both more recent introductions, are being shown successfully with
increasing frequency.
W-W: Tracey*.
Division 7:
Y-Y: Quail,
Sweetness, Kokopelli, Lady Alice.
Y-O: Stratosphere.
O-R: Indian Maid* is an indispensable collection
flower.
Y-W Intrigue* is also essential in any collection,
but Oryx, Pipit and Canary* are frequent winners also.
Lemon Sprite and Lemon Supreme are useful and reasonably priced.
Roberta Watrous (Y-GYP) is lovely if picked before the rim
fades.
W-Y: None at this time.
W-P: Bell Song and
Rising Star, but consider instead one of the newer introductions.
W-W: Eland*, Dainty Miss, Limequilla.
Division 8:
Of the more tender "tazetta" types (hardy in Zone 7 and
warmer), Polly's Pearl is my favorite. It is eye-catching
when the florets have been dressed into a symmetrical dome
shape. Another W-W, Silver Chimes, is competitive and it
can also be entered in the historic classes. Avalanche (
W-Y), too, is seen in many winning collections. Of the somewhat
hardier "poetaz" Division 8's, it is not unusual to find
one or more of the following in blue ribbon Havens collections:
Bright Spot, Dan du Plessis, Explosion, Falconet, Highfield
Beauty, Hoopoe, Matador, Martinette, Mot Mot, and Sparkling
Tarts. Use your DSG to select from these according to color
preference and season.
Division 9:
W-O/R: Choose
from Vienna Woods and Dimple. In an earlier analysis
(1998-2002), I found that no less than 59 Division 9 cultivars
appeared in winning collections, but none of them more than
7 times during that 5-year period. My suggestion is to select
from the remaing cultivars (mainly W-GYR) according to one or
more of these additional criteria: season (varying from 4 to 6;
check your DSG); small variations in corona color code
(especially if you are aiming at a Throckmorton collection
entry); size (Murlough and Ireland's Eye are larger); or, date
of introduction (Sea Green, Cantabile, Milan and Actaea offer the
flexibility to show in either regular or historic classes.).
Division 11:
Things are looking up in the
split-corona world. Traditionalists among the judging clan
are becoming more willing to accept split-coronas as hybridizers
introduce cultivars with neat coronas and smoother perianths of
greater substance. I find split-coronas to be useful additions to
a collection for the attention-grabbing variation in form which
they provide. Note also that a collection of Division 11
flowers won the Purple Ribbon in a 2006 show.
Unfortunately, most of the newer and better Div 11's are not yet
budget-priced. However, for budget-minded exhibitors, the
list in the 2006 and 2007 Mitsch catalogs (pp 27 and 28) may be
useful. Based on experience and observation as well as show
records, late and graceful Y-Y Tripartite, with 2 or 3 florets,
seems essential. Conventional single-flowered Y-Y Rosannor
Gold can be a useful collection bloom. Y-O Menehay grows
well in my area, has intense color in the corona, and tends to be
less "gappy" than others. in that category. Boslowick
also grows well and is sometimes found in winning collections.
W-W Cassata is cheap and occasionally provides a good collection
flower. Among the many W-P's, my first selection would be
Trigonometry, based on its superior show record.
I hope
the foregoing list will be useful to growers just starting out.
However, there are some important caveats. The show
records, while useful, are not perfect indicators of
exhibition quality, for many reasons. Also, some cultivars
do better in one region , or soil, than others. It is
important, therefore, to talk with the experienced exhibitors in
your area to get their ideas about the best varieties
for your conditions. Finally, prices almost invariably go
down in the years after a new hybrid is put on the
market. Newer is not always better, but it is better
frequently enough to make it worth your time to study the show
results in The Daffodil Journal and concurrently watch supplier
catalogs to see when consistent quality and price make a cultivar
relatively inexpensive on a per-bloom-shown basis. I will have some
suggestions along these lines in a forthcoming article.