Chinese Sacred Lily Paperwhite

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Chinese Sacred Lily Paperwhite

Narcissus tazetta var. orientalis White petals with a golden yellow cup. Takes longer to root than other varieties and has fewer flowers, but its enchanting sweet fragrance is worth it. Having them blooming on the first day of the Chinese lunar new year is said to be auspicious.

16–20" tall. 15-16cm bulbs.



6921 Chinese Sacred Lily
Item Discounted
Price
A: 5 for $8.10   
Ordering closed for the season
B: 25 for $31.50   
Ordering closed for the season
C: 100 for $108.00   
Ordering closed for the season

Additional Information

Paperwhites

Tall slender stems bear masses of fragrant delicate flowers. Must be grown indoors in Zones 1–6. ‘Ziva’, the muskiest paperwhite, is ready to grow, requiring no cold period; all the others will bloom more reliably if allowed to start in a cool place.

For a full appearance, group five to eight bulbs in a container 6" in diameter. Plant in pebbles or marbles, keeping bulbs above the waterline, or plant in soil for longer-lasting flowers. Allow to root in a cool (45–60°) dry dark place, for about 3 weeks, checking water level often. Some plantings may need staking to support heavy flower heads.

Research from Cornell shows that adding water with 5% alcohol after the shoots are 1–2" tall stunts their growth slightly, enough to prevent top-heavy tippiness, but not stunt their flowering. See their blog post or download the pdf for more info.

Many people stagger their planting times to prolong the season. If you don’t plant the bulbs right away, store them in a cool dry dark place—but don’t lose track of them or you may find them growing in their bags!

The longer you store paperwhite bulbs, the more quickly they bloom. October plantings usually bloom in 4–6 weeks; February plantings may take as little as 2–3 weeks.

Descriptions and Codes

See also: bulb planting information and bulb planting charts.