In 2021, Keep Akron Beautiful (KAB)  introduced a new and exciting portion of our beautification program- a daffodil tour in Akron! Every fall,  we plant hundreds of daffodil bulbs throughout several of our city gardens. We hope this will encourage the Akron community to get outside this spring and explore the city while the bulbs are in bloom! We have eight different gardens in Akron, each garden contains a different color and type of daffodil bulb.

A few reasons why Keep Akron Beautiful loves daffodils-daffodils are the earliest sign of spring. They have come to symbolize joy, renewal, peace, hope and healing. The American and Canadian Cancer Society uses the daffodil as a symbol of hope for a cure. From a horticultural standpoint they are sturdy, reliable and pest resistant (deer and chipmunks will not eat them like tulip bulbs). One of their best features is that they come back year after year and in some varieties, they will even naturalize and increase in numbers. They are also a good food source for our early pollinators- bees love them!

We hope to increase the number of bulbs planted each fall. Over the span of several years, we hope Akron can become a daffodil destination for locals and nonlocals alike! We encourage people to participate and grow with us! Please reach out to our Flowerscape Director, Leah Heiser, at [email protected] donate or if you wish to help plant bulbs this fall. All sponsors are recognized on signage at each site.

Come and explore the city of Akron and enjoy the beautiful daffodil blooms throughout the city! Grab lunch at one of our many local diners, explore the various varieties of daffodils that grow well in this area and maybe even get a little inspiration for your own yard or garden!

Description of daffodils at each site and Location:

GARDEN # 1: WATERS PARK

Daffodil Varieties: Giant Yellow Trumpet Daffodil (Mix), Narcissus ‘Dutch Master, ‘Golden Harvest’ and ‘Improved King Alfred’

Quantity: 5,500

Location: Olive St, Akron, OH 44310

Parking: Available on site

GARDEN # 2: CHURCH STREET

Daffodil Varieties: Large-cupped Daffodil, Narcissus ‘Blushing Lady’

Quantity: 300

Location: Church St., Akron, OH 44308

Parking: Summit County Parking Deck, Street parking is available and is free on the weekends

GARDEN # 3: CASCADE PLAZA

Daffodil Varieties: There are 18 total varieties. A few abbreviations: Trumpet (T), Large cup (LC), Small-cup (SC), Tazetta(T), and Doubles(D).

18 varieties: (T) Dutch Master-large yellow trumpet,(T) Goblet-golden yellow trumpet with white petals, (T) Improved King Alfred- large deep yellow, (T) Mount hood- Cup opens yellow, turns white,( LC) Carlton- Lemon yellow, (LC) Fortune- yellow petals, orange cup, (LC) Ice follies- White perianth, cream cup, (LC) Pink Pride-White petals, pink cup, (LC)Red Devon- greenish-yellow petals, orange cup, (LC)Salome-White perianth, pink cup edged in gold, (LC)Sempre Avanti- White with orange cup, (SC)Barrett Browning- White with orang cup, (T)Geranium-Multi-flowering white, orange cup, (T)Grand Primo- Multi-flowering pale yellow, darker cup, (D)Golden Ducat- huge double golden yellow

(D)Sir Winston Churchill- Multi flowering, double white, (D)White Lion- double white with yellow heart

(D) Yellow Cheerfulness- double soft yellow

Quantity: 2,000

Location: 1 W Mill St., Akron, OH 44308

Parking: Cascade Parking Garage, Street parking is available and is free on the weekends

GARDEN # 4: LOCK FOUR

Daffodil Varieties: Double Daffodil, Narcissus ‘White Lion’ which have double white flowers with yellow centers and ‘Replete’ which have double flowers with pink centers and white outer petals.

Quantity:1,000

Location: 200 S Main St, Akron, OH 44308

Parking: Cascade Parking Garage, O’Neils Parking Garage, Street parking is available and is free on weekends

GARDEN #5: HARDESTY PARK

Daffodil Varieties: Giant Trumpet Daffodil, Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’.

Quantity: 1,500

Location: 1615 West Market St, Akron, OH 44313

Parking: Parking is available on site.

GARDEN #6: GREAT STREETS MAPLE VALLEY GATEWAY PARK

Daffodil Varieties: Giant Trumpet Daffodil, Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’and small-cup Daffodil ‘Tazetta Minnow’, Narcissus

Quantity: 800

Location: Ritchie Ave and Copley Rd.

Parking: Parking is available on site.