How to Make Daffodil Bouquets Last Longer

Extend the vase life of daffodil flowers with proper selection and care.

Harvest your own in the morning when possible. Reach down as far as you can, use a sharp pruner to cut or pull and twist the flower stem so it breaks off right at ground level.

Select daffodils with the flower bud just starting to show color and bent at a 90-degree angle from the stem. Harvest those with multiple flowers per stem when one of the flowers is fully open.

Cut the bottom of the stem on an angle. Place your daffodils in warm water with floral preservative. Move them to a cool dark location for 12 hours or overnight.

Arrange daffodils in their own vase to avoid damaging other cut flowers with the gooey sap they exude. Or after 24 hours in their own vase, rinse the daffodil stems and combine with other flowers.

A bit more information: Add a few forsythia, pussy willow or other flowering stems to your daffodil bouquets for added seasonal interest. And those with sensitive skin may want to avoid irritation from this plant’s sap.