Paperwhites for the Holidays

Paperwhites! Grow these sparkling white flowers indoors for a holiday tradition with a long history. Flower lovers have been growing pots of paperwhites for several centuries! They add such spicy fragrance to holiday rooms.

Easy to Grow and Blooms Quickly

They are easy to plant and bloom quickly, usually in 3-4 weeks. We offer ‘Ziva’ paperwhites, the earliest, most vigorous variety, with lots of blooms on each stem. Plant them in a pretty container on top of 2-4″ of pebbles, gravel or decorative glass. They tend to grow tall so they may need some support. Plant stakes will work but a prettier option is to add some moss, berried branches, curly willow or red twig dogwood for support. For a lovely presentation, grow some in tall glass cylinders – no additional support needed.

Settle the bulbs in the container and add water just to the base of the bulbs, leaving the tops of the bulbs high and dry. Set the containers where they will receive bright indirect light in a location that is not too warm. Too much heat will prevent them from blooming; 50 to 65 degrees is perfect. Want flowers now? We have paperwhites in bloom too, ready to go into a container you love.

Want shorter stems on your paperwhites? Try giving them a shot of vodka or gin! Really, the science and instructions are here.