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When to plant daffodils in St. Louis: 5 October – end of December

In St. Louis, daffodil: plant from 5 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Becker's Farm & Industrial Supplies (farm supply, 5 km) and U City Farmers Market (farm shop, 10 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Bulbs are best planted early in the window: late-planted bulbs may flower later or less well. Late planting works only while the soil can be dug. Mulch after planting.

The average daily temperature here stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least three months average 7 °C or less: our rule of thumb for the winter cold spring bulbs need. Sources: Iowa State University Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Daffodil in St. Louis: soil, season and weather

Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -3.6 °C.

Planting5 October – end of December
First autumn frost4 November
Coldest nightsJanuary, -3.6 °C
Soil back at 7 °C in spring3 March
Daylight11:39 on 5 October
Daylight at the winter solstice9:28

The same dates in St. Louis hold for Garlic, Tulip, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Daffodil in St. Louis: depth, winter cold, pests and pets

Plant daffodils three times the bulb’s height deep (RHS): about 13–15 cm for large bulbs, 15–20 cm apart (University of Georgia Extension). The RHS advises planting them early in autumn, ideally in September in the UK, so do not leave them late: aim for the start of the window, 5 October.

In St. Louis the average daily temperature stays at 10 °C or lower for about 19 weeks a year (our estimate from ten years of monthly weather). For this bulb Wisconsin Horticulture Extension gives a cold period of 15–17 weeks at about 2–10 °C. The winter here gives that in the ground, so the bulbs need no pre-chilling.

Daffodils are long-lived: clumps slowly expand over the years (RHS). Leave the leaves for at least eight weeks after flowering — they feed next year’s flowers (University of Georgia Extension).

Squirrels avoid daffodils, so they can be planted among tulips to reduce losses (RHS). Daffodils are toxic to dogs, cats and horses; the bulbs are the most poisonous part, and a large amount can cause convulsions and heart rhythm problems (ASPCA).

Sources: RHS, University of Georgia Extension, Wisconsin Horticulture Extension, ASPCA.

Daffodil in nearby cities

Around St. Louis, Davenport is 5 days earlier and Evansville 6 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Springfield139 km2 October – 22 December3 days earlier
Jefferson City172 km5 October – end of Decembersame day
Peoria235 km1 October – 9 December4 days earlier
Evansville242 km11 October – end of December6 days later
Davenport328 km30 September – 30 November5 days earlier
Indianapolis370 km7 October – 23 December2 days later

Where to buy daffodil for planting in St. Louis

Planting stock goes into the ground from 5 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of St. Louis OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 4 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 7 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant daffodils in St. Louis?

In St. Louis, daffodil: plant from 5 October to the end of December. Bulbs are best planted early in the window: late-planted bulbs may flower later or less well. Late planting works only while the soil can be dug. Mulch after planting.

When is the last spring frost in St. Louis?

Last spring frost around 6 April, first autumn frost around 4 November.

Other crops in St. Louis, with their dates