Where to see daffodils in Wales

A woman and child looking at the daffodils in the garden at Powis Castle in Powys, Wales — Visitors admiring the daffodils at Powis Castle | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

As the cold, dark days of winter come to an end, our national emblem blooms across Wales brightening up landscapes and heralding the beginning of spring. Discover where to find dazzling displays of daffodils from February through to early May, in the gardens we care for across the country.

National emblem of Wales

There are many stories about how the daffodil became one of Wales’s famous emblems, but it’s believed to have all started with the humble leek. During battle, St David, patron saint of Wales, advised his warriors to wear a leek so they could be distinguished from their enemies, the Saxons. Today, both emblems are worn on St David’s Day on 1st of March, and the connection between them may lie in the Welsh language as leek is ‘cenhinen’, whilst daffodil is ‘cenhinen Pedr’ or ‘cennin Pedr’.

Top gardens for daffodil displays in North Wales

View of daffodils in the meadow with house in the background at Bodnant Garden in Conwy, North Wales — Daffodil meadow at Bodnant Garden, North Wales | © National Trust Images/Derek Hatton

Bodnant Garden, Conwy: Generations of gardeners have been planting daffodils at Bodnant since 1920 and we’re still adding to the display today. As early as January, Narcissus ‘Cedric Morris’ and the dwarf Narcissus cyclamineus can be spotted in the Winter Garden. Then in March and April, the Old Park meadow and Glades are transformed into a carpet of buttercup-bright, common Narsicuss pseudonarcissus, and many other varieties.Visit Bodnant Garden
Erddig, Wrexham: Discover pretty displays of daffodils in this Grade1-listed and fully restored 18th century garden. Follow the garden path towards the formal borders or wander off among the apple trees and conical topiary to enjoy the unique fragrance of the late-flowering pheasant’s eye variety, ‘Narcissus poeticus’. Don’t miss the dazzling blaze of yellow, along the banks of the canal in the garden and the nodding flowers dancing in the water's reflections.Visit Erddig
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Gwynedd: The first daffodil blooms at Penrhyn Castle often appear in late-February, just in time for St David’s Day. Then they continue from strength to strength until they reach their vibrant peak from around mid-March until late April. The dazzling carpet of yellow, as dramatic as the Welsh castle itself, can be seen throughout the wooded areas to the front and side of the castle, as well as in front of the Keep.Visit Penrhyn Castle and Garden
Plas Newydd House and Garden: Hot on the heels of the snowdrops, the daffodils are expected to put on a dazzling display in the enchanting garden, arboretum, and parkland at Plas Newydd. Overlooking the Menai Strait, you’ll find clusters of yellow daffodils dancing in the spring sunshine and dotted throughout the garden, giving the formal lawn and herbaceous borders a burst of colour. The daffodils are expected to be at their best by around mid-March.Visit Plas Newydd House and Garden

Top gardens for daffodil displays in Mid Wales

View of daffodils in the garden with Powis Castle on the hill in the background in Powys, Mid Wales. — Daffodils in bloom at Powis Castle, Mid Wales | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion: Step into spring at Llanerchaeron where bright and beautiful wild daffodils can be seen carpeting the woodland by the river and surrounding the Croquet Lawn in front of the Villa. You’ll find even more dotted throughout the Dutch Garden and Walled Garden too, where the rich, intoxicating smell of jasmine will follow you from the greenhouses as you explore.Visit Llanerchaeron
Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool: Powis Castle’s Baroque terraced garden is matched only by its superb hilltop setting, from where you can enjoy dramatic views across the Severn Valley as spring arrives. From mid March through to late April Welsh daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus thrive in their thousands in the aptly named Daffodil Paddock. Meanwhile violets, magnolia, tulips, and grape hyacinths bloom en masse throughout the rest of the garden.Visit Powis Castle and Garden

Top gardens for daffodil displays in South Wales

View of the house through daffodils at Dyffryn Gardens near Cardiff in South Wales — Daffodils at Dyffryn Gardens, South Wales | © National Trust Images/Rachael Warren

Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire: Look out for large drifts of daffodils throughout the meadow and meadow bank at Colby Woodland Garden. In 2011 and 2015, 6,000 daffodil bulbs were planted at this lovely walled and woodland garden, so expect a jaw-dropping display from late February onwards. Spring also brings carpets of bluebells and crocuses, followed by swathes of camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons.Visit Colby Woodland Garden
Dyffryn Gardens, Cardiff: There are more than 50 varieties of daffodils lighting up the lawns and garden rooms at Dyffryn Gardens. From the tiny Narcissus bulbocodium on the Rockery, to great big show varieties in every shade of yellow, white, and cream there’s nowhere better to celebrate the arrival of spring. Don’t miss their very own daffodil breed: Narcissus ‘Dyffryn’, which won international status as a new breed in 2014.Visit Dyffryn Gardens
Tredegar House, Newport: Head through the gates into the Cedar and Orchard Gardens to see swathes of sunny daffodils under the blossom trees. A favourite highlight during spring are the golden daffodils that bloom along Oak Avenue and around the 250-year-old Sweet Chestnut tree in the parkland from early March.Visit Tredegar House