Where To Cut Daffodils Before Newport's Bloom Season Ends

NEWPORT, RI — Every spring, Newport blooms yellow with daffodils. The natural splendor is, in fact, the product of the "Daffadilion" citywide beautification campaign that culminates in the annual Daffodil Days Festival. Although 2020's event is cancelled, the city and organizers behind the flowerful festival are inviting the public to cut flowers while the bloom still lasts.

Granted, it's not a free-for-all on every daffodil in Newport: In a news release, Daffadilion Project Director John Hirschboeck included a map showing the six areas where the public can pick and cut a bouquet of their own.

To cut a daffodil, one should cut the stem as close to the base of the leaves as possible without cutting the leaves themselves. (Leaving the leaves alone will allow the blooms to return next year.)

Visitors are encouraged to make their visit about more than just a yellow sunburst of petals. "In return for the bouquet of flowers," the news release adds, "Daffodillion is requesting a donation to one of three charities in critical need of support during the pandemic:"

• Martin Luther King Center
• Rhode Island Community for the Homeless
• Newport Mental Health