The Daffodil Project℠
2024 Daffodil Project Distributions

If you're registered to receive bulbs or are on the waitlist*, we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming distribution! See all distribution dates below:

  • Saturday, September 21, 10am-2pm: Brooklyn - Prospect Park Plaza West (View Map)
  • Sunday, September 22, 10am-2pm: Staten Island - Brookfield Park (View Map)
  • Sunday, September 29, 10am-2pm: Manhattan - Union Square North Plaza (View Map)
  • Saturday, October 5, 10am-2pm: The Bronx - St. Mary’s Playground West (View Map)
  • Saturday, October 5, 10am-12pm: Far Rockaway - RISE Center (View Map)
  • Sunday, October 6, 10am-2pm: Queens - The Overlook at Forest Park (View Map)
  • Saturday, October 19, 12:30pm-1:00pm: Harlem - A. Philip Randolph Square (View Map)

*Waitlist is first come, first served beginning at 12:30pm. We cannot fulfill bulb requests for waitlist registrants who arrive before then.

Native Perennial Giveaway

This year we’re thrilled to announce our first-ever native pollinator giveaway pilot program as part of the 2024 Daffodil Project!

We’ve partnered with the Greenbelt Native Plant Center (GNPC) to select a proprietary blend of four native perennial pollinators: Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens), Foxglove beard-tongue (Penstemon digitalis), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and Gray Golden Rod (Solidago nemoralis).

Participants will receive a small seed packet with their bulb order and can plant these seeds in the fall at the same time as the bulbs.

Click here to see simple seed planting instructions.

Support the Daffodil Project

The 2024 Daffodil Project wouldn't be possible without the support of our volunteers, community partners, and donors.  

Your gift makes a big difference! Give $250 or more and receive a limited-edition screen print, numbered and signed by NYC-based artist Michael De Feo. Give $75 or more and receive a Made-In-USA Daffodil Project tote bag!

About

Established in 2001, NY4P’s Daffodil Project is the largest volunteer effort in NYC history. It is a living memorial to the victims of 9/11 and Covid-19, a celebration of the New Yorkers championing parks equity in their communities, and a catalyst for citywide civic engagement advancing NY4P's call for 1% of the city budget for NYC Parks.

Each year, NY4P distributes hundreds of thousands of free daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers in every borough. Participants then work alongside other volunteers to plant bulbs in their communities before the first frost: in public parks, tree pits, community gardens, schools, and more. Come March, yellow daffodil blooms mark the city's first signs of spring, a symbol of our collective resilience and commitment to improving and advocating for NYC's parks and open spaces

 

History

New Yorkers for Parks’ Daffodil Project is the largest annual volunteer effort in NYC history, conceived as a living memorial to the victims of September 11. Since the Daffodil Project’s inception in 2002, over nine million daffodil bulbs have been distributed for free, planted by thousands of volunteers in the fall, and celebrated as some of the first flowers to bloom come spring.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Dutch bulb supplier Hans van Waardenburg and the City of Rotterdam sent NYC a million daffodils – a gift facilitated by NY4P Board Member and public garden designer Lynden Miller. That fall, 10,000 volunteers joined NY4P and then-Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to plant the bulbs in every borough. In 2007, Mayor Bloomberg named the daffodil the city’s official flower.

Throughout over twenty years of bulb distributions, plantings, and perennial blooms, the Daffodil Project’s mission has grown. Today, the project also honors the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic and acts as a catalyst for citywide parks stewardship and civic engagement.

FAQ

I submitted my daffodil request – when will I hear back?

If bulbs are available when you submit your request, you will receive a confirmation email from ny4p@ny4p.org. If you cannot locate this email in your inbox or spam folder, reach out to us directly at that address. 

I missed bulb registration but signed up for the waitlist. What does this mean? 

Waitlist status is not an order confirmation or guarantee. Waitlist requests will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis from 12:30pm-1:00pm on the day of your selected distribution.

I received an email from ny4p@ny4p.org confirming my bulb request. When should I come to my selected distribution site?

We strongly encourage confirmed participants to arrive at the distribution site before 12:30pm. 

Do I have to request to pick up the bulbs in the borough I live in?

No, if the distribution in your home borough does not work for you, please select another location that does.

I’m late – what happens to my order?

If you arrive after 12:30pm, we will try to honor your registration, however the waitlist is first-come first-serve.

Do I need an ID to pick up my bulbs?

No, you just need to give us your first and last name.

Can someone pick up bulbs on my behalf?

Yes! Just have them check in with your name.

How much do the daffodil bulbs weigh?

The large net bags (550 bulbs) weigh about 35 to 40 pounds. The smaller tote bags with bulbs can weigh between 15 to 25 pounds. We suggest you bring a hand cart to transport them.

It’s raining – is the distribution still happening?

Yes, all our distributions are rain or shine.

Do I need permission to plant in a park? 

Yes. You’ll need to have permission from NYC Parks before you plant any bulbs on NYC Parks property. There are two options:

  • If you’re part of an established community group that hosts It's My Park (IMP) projects with Partnerships for Parks (PfP), you should request bulbs and permission through the IMP Project Leader application.
  • If you are not an established community group that works with PfP, you can seek permission through a PfP group project request (at least 3 weeks in advance of your project) or through your local park conservancy or NYC Parks park manager/administrator.

Do I need a business’ permission to plant in front of them?

We encourage you to talk directly to a business to see if they already care for any open space or tree bed in front of their business and to coordinate planting and care.

When is the best time to plant?

Daffodil bulbs should be planted before the first frost – usually mid-October through the first week of December.

How can I support the Daffodil Project?

  • Make a DonationYour support is essential to making the Daffodil Project a reality! NY4P gives away bulbs for free, which would not be possible without our generous supporters.
  • Tell the press: If you have press on your planting day, please mention that you’re participating in New Yorkers for Parks’ Daffodil Project!
  • Post on social media: Share your planting events and spring blooms and tag us on FacebookTwitter, and InstagramUse the hashtags: #DaffodilProject #NY4P #NewYorkersForParks
  • Send us your daffodil photos: Please send your photos to ny4p@ny4p.org or tag us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram!
Contact

For all questions about the Daffodil Project and how it works, or to place a special bulb order, please email ny4p@ny4p.org

For all questions about corporate partnership opportunities, please email Samantha Davis at sdavis@ny4p.org

For all press and media inquiries, please email press@ny4p.org

Corporate Partnership

Our corporate partners underwrite NY4P’s substantial costs in organizing and sustaining this citywide volunteer effort, as well as purchasing bulbs, which are given away for free. 

The Daffodil Project is especially focused on areas of the city that do not have the capacity to generate private or philanthropic dollars. Your support helps bridge this gap, to commemorate the victims of 9/11, and beautify spaces for residents to enjoy.

To find out more about this year's corporate partnership opportunities, please contact Samantha Davis at sdavis@ny4p.org.

Partners

The Daffodil Project wouldn’t be possible without the help of our partners. We would like to especially recognize Con Edison, key supporters of the Daffodil Project since 2003.

Con Edison      Citi      Delta      Republic Bank       Greenacre Foundation       JCDecaux      National Grid      New York Forever       Tiger Baron Foundation      NYC Parks      Partnerships for Parks            Pentagram      Berlin Rosen