'Tete a Tete' Dwarf Daffodil Bulbs

• Variety: Tête-à-Tête
• Latin name: Narcissus 'Tête-à-Tête'
• Type: Division 12, miscellaneous (a dwarf with swept-back petals, up to three flowers to a stem)
• Colour: Golden yellow
• Height: 20cm (8in)
• Flowering: Late February into April
• Naturalises: Yes. Clump forming, spreads by offsets
• RHS AGM: Yes (1993)
• Sun/shade: Full sun or part shade
• Sold as: Premium size dry bulbs, in packs of 25, 100 or 500
• Plant: In autumn, when the bulbs arrive, at 2 to 3 times their depth
• Delivered: September to December. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Tête-à-Tête is a dwarf daffodil, 20cm (8in) tall, with golden-yellow flowers from late February into April. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and suits pots, rockeries and the front of a border.

Tête-à-Tête Daffodils: The Dwarf Worth Planting by the Hundred

Each stem carries up to three flowers about 6cm across, with slightly paler outer petals swept back from a darker cup. Tête-à-Tête grows well in full sun or part shade, in pots, rockeries and borders, on chalk, clay, loam or sand as long as there is decent drainage.

A single bulb is small, so plant more than seems sensible. A dozen in a border looks like an accident; twenty-five in one clump looks planned. The clumps thicken every year as the bulbs multiply, and a pack of 500 will carry a bank or the edge of a lawn.

Where Tête-à-Tête Came From: A Seedling Its Breeder Didn't Rate

Alec Gray, who specialised in miniature daffodils, raised Tête-à-Tête in Cornwall and was unimpressed by the seedling at first. He introduced it in 1949, and it became the UK's most widely grown miniature daffodil. The name is French for 'head to head', which suits flowers held close together on the stem.

In the Border With Tête-à-Tête

Tête-à-Tête is yellow, so give it blue and lilac for company. The blue Harmony iris and the lilac Tommasini's crocus flower in the same weeks, and both stay low enough not to hide it.

The leaves stay green for about six weeks after the flowers go, so plant it where perennials that wake up late can grow over the gap left when you cut the old leaves down. A hardy geranium such as Rozanne, from the perennial collection, does that job and flowers through the summer.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries hand-grades every bulb and only sells premium sizes, because the bigger ones store more energy. Your bulbs are covered by our plant guarantee, and the rest of the range is in the daffodil and narcissus collection. Which? named Ashridge Best Plant Supplier 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow Tête-à-Tête daffodils in pots?

Yes, Tête-à-Tête is one of the best daffodils for pots and window boxes. Pack the bulbs close in a pot at least 20cm (8in) deep, with drainage holes, and stand it somewhere sunny. You'll find the detail in the guide to growing bulbs in pots.

When is the best time to plant Tête-à-Tête daffodil bulbs?

Plant them in autumn, as soon as they arrive, which is any time from September to December. Earlier planting gives the roots longer to settle, but bulbs in the ground by December still flower that spring. The daffodil planting guide covers depth and spacing.

Will Tête-à-Tête daffodils come back every year?

Yes, they flower again every spring and thicken into clumps, as long as you leave the leaves alone for at least six weeks after flowering. Cut them sooner and your bulbs go hungry. See when to cut back spent bulb foliage.

Will Tête-à-Tête flower in shade?

Yes, in part shade, though it flowers best in full sun. Under deciduous trees and shrubs it does well, because March light reaches the ground before the leaves open. In deep shade you'll get leaves and few flowers.

What is the difference between Tête-à-Tête and February Gold?

February Gold is half as tall again, at 30cm against 20cm, and belongs to Division 6 rather than 12. Both are golden yellow with swept-back petals, and both hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Tête-à-Tête carries more flowers to a stem, so it is the better pot daffodil.

Can I plant Tête-à-Tête in grass?

Yes, in short grass at a lawn edge or under trees, though you'll leave that patch unmown until the leaves have yellowed. At 20cm it is lost in long grass, so a taller daffodil suits a meadow better.