Bringing winter blooms to your home: How to grow and care for paperwhites

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — During the holiday season, plants often play a central role in our decorations. While poinsettias, Amaryllis, holly, holiday cacti and evergreens receive much of the attention during the holidays, paperwhites also appear in many stores. These easy-to-grow plants with delicate white blooms make them a popular choice for holiday decorations.

What are paperwhites?

Paperwhites are a type of daffodil. There are two species commonly referred to as paperwhites: Narcissus papyraceus and N. tazetta. Both are native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, with N. tazetta extending into Asia.

Unlike many other daffodils, these species will produce multiple flowers per stalk. They also don’t have a chilling requirement like many other bulbs, making them ideal candidates for forcing indoors. Unfortunately, they are only hardy to zone 8, so they are typically treated as annuals in Illinois.

Choosing Your Bulbs

As with all bulbs, select firm, healthy bulbs to get the best results without any signs of mold or damage. Larger bulbs generally produce more flowers, so opt for the biggest ones you can find.

There are many paperwhite varieties available with a variety of different petal and cup colors. The most widely grown is ‘Ziva,’ which has pure white flowers (petals and cups). Some other varieties available include:

• Bethlehem – creamy white petals with a pale-yellow cup
• Galilee – pure white flowers
• Grand Soleil d’Or – yellow petals with an orange cup
• Inbal – pure white flowers
• Wintersun – white petals with a yellow cup

Paperwhites are often marketed as fragrant, but some varieties, like ‘Ziva,’ can have a rather strong, musky fragrance that some people may find objectionable. Fortunately, some varieties have less or a more pleasing scent, such as ‘Inbal,’ ‘Wintersun,’ and ‘Grand Soleil d’Or.’

Planting and growing paperwhites

Paperwhites are typically grown one of two ways, like ‘typical’ plants in a pot with soil or in pebbles or rocks with water. Regardless of how you grow them, paperwhites are typically planted close together, an inch or so apart, to create dense plantings.

When growing paperwhites in pots, fill the pot with potting soil about 2/3 full. Then, place the bulbs in the pot and cover them so that only the tips of the bulbs are visible. Water thoroughly and keep the soil moist.

Another popular way to grow paperwhites is in shallow bowls filled with gravel or decorative stones, although any container that can hold water can be used. To do this, partially fill the container with gravel/stones (at least 1-2 inches deep), then place the bulbs on top. After placing the bulbs, add more gravel/stones to help hold them in place (leave the tips of the bulbs exposed). Then, fill the container with water until it touches the bottom of the bulbs, and keep the water at this level. Do not immerse the bulbs in water.

After they have been potted, paperwhites can be placed in a cool location (50-60°F) for a week or two to help encourage root growth. Then, move the container to a warm (low 70s°F) area with bright light (windowsill or supplemental lighting). As the flower buds begin to swell and open, the container can be moved to a cooler location out of direct sunlight to help prolong the life of the flowers.

Paperwhites typically bloom 4-6 weeks after they have been planted. If you want to have plants continuously bloom throughout the winter, paperwhites can be planted every 10 days.