16–18" tall. 16–17cm bulbs.
‘Ziva’ Paperwhite
‘Ziva’ Paperwhite
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; ‘Earlicheer’ will bloom more reliably if allowed to start in a cool place.
You can stagger 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 them, the more quickly they’ll bloom once in a pot. October plantings usually bloom in 4–6 weeks; February plantings in as little as 2–3 weeks. 16–17cm.
Planting Paperwhites
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.
Narcissus
Narcissus, also known as daffodils, are found around the foundations of abandoned homesteads because they return year after year as long as the soil is well drained and the foliage is allowed to die back naturally every season. Deer and other critters are unlikely to eat them, as they are toxic to animals and people. Cheerful and reliable for beds, borders, cutflowers, forcing, and naturalizing.
Narcissus thrive in full sun and some (where noted in descriptions) do well in dappled shade. Pink, orange and red varieties hold their color best in dappled shade or during cool wet springs. In a dry season, water late varieties in midspring to ensure bloom.
Are they Daffodils, Jonquils or Narcissi? Yes!
A friend said he’d been confused by the different terms he’d heard to describe these familiar flowers. They are all in the genus Narcissus, so calling them that is perfectly fine, just as we say Crocus or Iris.
Narcissus, Narcissuses and Narcissi are all acceptable as the plural, so use the one you like. ‘Daffodil’ was first used in Wales and England to refer to certain wild forms. It is now used to refer either specifically to the Trumpets, or generally to mean any type of Narcissus. ‘Jonquil’ is also used to refer generally to any type of Narcissus, especially in the South where jonquils thrive. Horticulturists use it to refer to the wild Narcissus jonquilla and its progeny, the Jonquilla class of cultivars. So, really, all of these terms are fine.