Probably more than any other flower, paperwhites signal that spring is near! These charming harbingers bring so much cheer to your garden in February and March while you are waiting for every other spring flower to arrive.
Paperwhites are in the genus narcissus, also home to the beloved yellow daffodils. What differentiates paperwhites (papyraceus, or tazzetae) from other daffodils and narcissus, is that uniquely, the paperwhite bears multiple flowers on each sturdy stem. If you have ever forced paperwhites indoors you will argue that the stems are not so sturdy – but in the garden they are.
The flowers can be as few as 3 or as numerous as 20 per stem, and each stem can be a foot or more tall. The flowers are small with a very short cup and a fierce and fragrant floral smell. Paperwhites divide quickly! Although, I have never heard anyone say that they wished they hadn’t planted so many paperwhites.
Paperwhites are robust little bulbs in California gardens, and generally hardy in zones 7-11. Because of their strong fragrance, they are totally unbothered by deer, moles and gophers. They easily naturalize in any wet winter/dry summer climate, like that of the Mediterranean where they hail from. Gardeners force them indoors in colder climates, which is quite easy whenever they are near water. One of the earliest bloomers in my zone 9b gardens, they reliably start poking their little leaves out of the ground in late December, and are on full show as early as February, lasting well into March.
Paperwhites look lovely in rock gardens, and do just as well in heavy clay soil as in richer loam. Gorgeous cut flowers, although you want to keep them separate from other cut flowers in your mixed vases, as they will emit a sticky sap which will prematurely wilt your other cut flowers.
How to Plant Paperwhites
Set it and forget it. Quite literally! Paperwhites are one of the easiest bulbs to grow.
Plant the bulb in the ground in the fall. Anytime between September and December will work. Preferably put them in good, draining soil, but paperwhites aren’t that fussy and will tolerate clay soil as long as they are in a good sunny spot. Make sure the pointy side is up. If you aren’t sure which is the pointy side, plant the bulb on its side and the paperwhite will figure it out for you! It’s good to water the bulb to give it a good start. But if you don’t water it right away, the bulb will probably be fine – it will just wait until the next rain and then start growing. You can pretty much forget about them until you see them in the spring!
Ongoing Care of Paperwhites
Yeah, pretty easy here too. In fact, even easier than the planting process. just sit back and enjoy the show! In my garden, the paperwhite show goes on for about a month. Or, you can pick the flowers and put them in a vase and they will stay fresh for about a week in water. After the plant has faded and the leaves are brown, you can remove them to tidy up your garden. Don’t remove the leaves prior to them turning brown, though, because the bulb uses the green leaves to gather energy and store it up for its long summer dormancy.
My Favorite Varieties of Paperwhites
Narcissus Papyraceus ‘Ziva’
The very image of the traditional paperwhite, this sturdy – nay, vigorous variety is one of the very earliest bulbs to bloom. Ziva paperwhite has a strong but sweet smell which carries on the slightest breeze. Pure white cup on delicate pure white petals are charming in both formal all-white gardens as well as more relaxed cottage gardens. Each bulb will produce 3-4 stems with many blossoms apiece. In California gardens this bulb will bloom and divide annually for generations.
Hardy in zones 8-11.
Narcissus ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’
This cheerful paperwhite sports a orangey-yellow cup over its bright yellow petals. Extremely floriferous (is that a word?), producing 10-20 flowers on each stem, ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ has a fragrant and sweet smell.
Hailing from Italy, “Grand Soleil d’Or’ is hardy in zones 7-11 when planted in at least a half day of sun.
Narcissus ‘Bethlehem’
These gorgeous paperwhites have creamy white petals and dreamy yellow cups on sturdy stalks. Not quite as dark yellow as the Narcissus ‘chinensis’, which has more of a golden yellow cup. This is one of my favorites for looks; these sweet bundles of cheers have a more mild fragrance for those of you with a more sensative sniffer. Tall and sturdy, there are clusters of 6-10 flowers per stalk.
Zones 8-11
Narcissus ‘Omri’
This variety of paperwhite is creamier colored than the more common pure white ‘ziva’ paperwhite. It also is a bit taller at alomst 2 feet tall, and has a more subtle scent. A pefect choice if you appreciate the beauty of this flower in your February garden but can’t take the full force fragrance of ‘ziva’.
Hardy in zones 8-11
