Daffodils at Blithewold, Bristol Rhode Island

Editor’s note: This page has been updated with current visiting information for 2026. Scroll down for image gallery.

Every spring, Blithewold’s 33-acre grounds are transformed by one of the most extraordinary daffodil displays in New England. Over 150,000 daffodils bloom across the property from late March through early May — representing all 13 divisions of the daffodil classification system and more than 100 individual varieties. It is one of the largest and most diverse daffodil collections open to the public anywhere in the northeastern United States.

Daffodil Days at Blithewold is Rhode Island’s premier spring garden event and is included with general admission. Visitors are free to walk the full 33-acre grounds, explore the historic mansion, and spend as long as they like among the blooms. There is no separate ticket required — just arrive, walk in, and follow the flowers.

If you would like to know more about daffodil divisions and other curious daffodil facts, check out former Gardens Manager Gail Read’s blog from 2016 here.

Learn more about Daffodil Days and plan your visit.

The collection spans all 13 divisions recognized by the American Daffodil Society, including:

• Trumpet daffodils — the classic single large cup that most people picture when they think of a daffodil
• Large-cupped daffodils — a wide cup more than one third the length of the petals, in a range of colors from white to deep orange
• Small-cupped daffodils — a cup no more than one third the length of the petals, often with contrasting colors
• Double daffodils — multiple layers of petals creating a full, almost peony-like flower
• Triandrus daffodils — nodding, delicate flowers often appearing in clusters of two or three per stem
• Cyclamineus daffodils — swept-back petals and an early bloom time, among the first to appear each spring
• Jonquilla daffodils — small, richly fragrant flowers in clusters, with narrow rush-like foliage
• Tazetta daffodils — clusters of small flowers per stem, often strongly fragrant
• Poeticus daffodils — pure white petals with a small red-rimmed cup, among the latest to bloom
• Bulbocodium daffodils — distinctive hoop-petticoat shaped flowers, unusual and charming
• Split-corona daffodils — the cup is split and often lies flat against the petals, creating an unusual layered appearance
• Other daffodil cultivars — varieties that do not fit neatly into the above divisions
• Species daffodils — wild and near-wild forms, representing the botanical origins of all cultivated daffodils

The daffodil season at Blithewold typically runs from late March through early May, with peak bloom occurring in mid-April depending on the weather each year. The cyclamineus varieties are among the first to open, often appearing before the end of March. The poeticus varieties are the last, extending the season well into May.

Walking the grounds during daffodil season means more than just the flowers. The historic mansion is open for self-guided tours, the rose garden and water garden are waking up for spring, and the 33-acre grounds — designed in the Arts and Crafts tradition in the late 1890s — provide hours of exploration. Blithewold sits on the waterfront in Bristol, Rhode Island, and the views of Narragansett Bay from the Great Lawn are at their most beautiful in spring light.

Purchase tickets online or buy them at the Welcome Center on arrival. Blithewold is located at 101 Ferry Road, Bristol, Rhode Island. Open Tuesday through Sunday.

View full Daffodil Days event details, dates and visitor information.

Can’t wait to see you on the grounds here! The daffodils and trees and flowers are waiting for you.

Happy Spring!