The Quintessential Winter Bulb — Sweetly Fragrant and Effortlessly Beautiful
Paperwhites are the gateway bulb. If you’ve never forced a flower bulb before, paperwhites are where you start. If you’ve never planted a garden bulb before, paperwhites are where you start. They are the easiest, most forgiving, most gratifying bulb you can grow — and their sweet, heady fragrance will fill a room or perfume a winter garden.
Botanically, paperwhites are Narcissus papyraceous — members of the Narcissus tazetta group, which means they produce clusters of multiple small flowers on each stalk rather than a single large trumpet. The blooms are pure white (hence “paperwhite”), and their fragrance is unmistakable — sweet, musky, and strong enough to scent an entire room from a single pot.
Two Ways to Grow Paperwhites
1. Forcing Indoors (The Classic Holiday Project)
Plant paperwhite bulbs in a pot with soil (or set them on pebbles in a shallow dish with water), place on a sunny windowsill, and wait. In 4–6 weeks you’ll have fragrant white blooms — just in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s gatherings. Plant in succession every 2–3 weeks from October through December for continuous blooms through the holiday season.
- Light: As much sun as your window can offer; rotate the pot if growth leans
- Water: Keep moist but not waterlogged
- Temperature: Normal room temperature is fine; cooler rooms slow growth and produce sturdier stems
- After bloom: Enjoy the foliage for a while, then either plant outdoors (Zone 8+) or discard
2. Planting Outdoors (Zones 8–10)
In warmer climates, paperwhites make excellent landscape plants for winter color. Plant them in full sun with 2–3 inches of soil over the top of the bulb, close together for a full natural look. They’ll bloom in about 6 weeks when planted outdoors in fall. Chris planted an entire bed of paperwhites mixed with alyssum and other annuals where a century-old oak had come down — the result was a showstopping display through Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Varieties
- ‘Ziva’ — the most widely available paperwhite; strong grower with clusters of pure white blooms and robust fragrance. Available both for forcing and as landscaping-grade bulbs at a great price.
- ‘Inbal’ — a more refined selection; slightly later blooming, with a softer fragrance that some prefer to Ziva’s intensity. Excellent for indoor forcing.
Related Tazetta Varieties for Perennial Gardens
If you love paperwhites and want something similar that returns as a true perennial in your garden, try these closely related Narcissus tazetta selections. They share the multi-flowered, fragrant character of paperwhites but are proven long-lived perennials in southern gardens:
- ‘Grand Primo’ — white petals with a soft yellow cup; blooms for generations with no care
- ‘Italicus’ — reliable January bloomer with small yellow cups and star-white petals
- ‘Golden Dawn’ — warm golden-orange cups; a standout in late winter
- ‘Falconet’ — deep orange cups with golden petals; one of the most colorful tazettas
- ‘Erlicheer’ — double white, gardenia-like blooms; intensely fragrant
- ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ — golden yellow with orange cups; also forces beautifully indoors
- ‘Wintersun’ — bright yellow; a cheerful winter bloomer that also forces well
The Perfect Gift
A paperwhite forcing kit — a few bulbs, a beautiful pot, and a bag of soil — is one of the best gifts a gardener (or non-gardener) can receive. It’s simple, foolproof, and within weeks the recipient has a living, fragrant reminder that you were thinking of them. Southern Bulbs offers kits in small, medium, and large sizes.
Ready to fill your home with fragrance?
Shop Paperwhites at SouthernBulbs.com →