SKU: 37170934268
paper white lily bulbs

paper white lily bulbs Old-Fashioned Paperwhites

Sale price$20.63 Regular price$22.92
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 10 - Jul 15

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

paper white lily bulbs Old-Fashioned PaperwhitesNarcissus tazetta papyraceous Old fashioned paperwhites bloom anytime from Thanksgiving to January across the Southern United States. Some years they are spectacular, and others they are not. Sometimes you'll be waiting for a bloom and a blue norther will come through and freeze the buds (the plants themselves will be fine it can be disappointing!) However, some years they do exactly what you want them to do and they give you a winter show you've been

Narcissus tazetta papyraceous

Old fashioned paperwhites bloom anytime from Thanksgiving to January across the Southern United States. Some years they are spectacular, and others they are not. Sometimes you'll be waiting for a bloom and a blue norther will come through and freeze the buds (the plants themselves will be fine...it can be disappointing!) However, some years they do exactly what you want them to do and they give you a winter show you've been waiting for. We offer a mixture of bulb sizes of paperwhites collected from many different old locations - they generally bloom on the same schedule. We hope you enjoy! 

Did you know there used to be many, many different historic types of paperwhites? At least I've been told that, but now we're down to about 4-5 main varieties that are primarily used for forcing. (Forcing is where you can plant them in pots or in the ground and have them bloom about 5 weeks later, enabling you to time them for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's celebrations.)

The older varieties, though, can still be found in older gardens or abandoned homesites. Here's how they differ:

  1. They generally bloom from late November through the first week of January.
  2. They aren't as compact. They're more of a free-flowering, clumping form of garden flower — don't plan on them standing at attention and blooming compact blooms like forced paperwhites do.
  3. You treat them like perennials and let them follow the same path as daffodils in your garden (they're both in the genus Narcissus) — meaning you let the foliage live and die down naturally, so you'll have greyish-green foliage through May of the next spring.

I mention all this so you know to treat these like garden perennials, not as florist-quality annuals in a showy pot or entryway to your house. Mix them with other winter-blooming bulbs like 'Grand Primo,' campernelles, and snowflakes, and plant them with perennial shrubs like salvias, plumbago, or lantana. Let the winter-blooming old-fashioned heirloom paperwhites fill the late November/December gap in perennial garden blooms, and use the fall forcing paperwhites for more formal pot combinations or annual color change-outs in the areas closest to the home. 

These are a Southern gardener's dream (zones 8-11!). Paperwhites are native to the western Mediterranean — Spain, Portugal, southern Italy, North Africa — places with mild wet winters and hot dry summers. Sound familiar? It's essentially the climate of the Deep South, the Gulf Coast, coastal California, and warmer parts of Texas. Plant them here and you're giving them exactly what they evolved for. Even better, they bloom in early winter, filling that quiet gap when almost nothing else in the perennial garden is doing anything at all.

The scent controversy: Here's a fun bit of science behind that famous fragrance: paperwhites contain a compound called indole — the same chemical found in jasmine and orange blossom (and, in higher concentrations, in decay). At low levels indole reads as sweet and floral; at higher levels it tips into something funky and animalic. This is why people are so polarized about paperwhite smell — some find it heavenly, others say it's not so great. Both reactions are chemically valid; your nose is detecting real compounds, just interpreting them differently.

Outdoors, though, the whole conversation changes. In open air, the heavier indole notes dissipate quickly and what's left is the sweet, floral side drifting on the breeze. No four walls to trap it, no overwhelming the dinner table. Just a beautiful surprise of fragrance as you walk past on a December morning — exactly the kind of unexpected gift a winter garden should offer.

These are true heirlooms — no fancy variety name, just an old-fashioned strain we've been growing at the farm for several years. The kind of paperwhite that, once planted, sticks around. 

They multiply. A single bulb develops into a substantial clump within 3-5 years, and those clumps keep expanding and blooming faithfully for decades. This is why you find them still going strong at homesites where the house disappeared generations ago.

Planting: You can wait, but why would you? Plant them now and let the ground protect them (plus, you won't forget about them). The bulbs are dormant, but planting them now gives them time to settle in before sending up blooms this coming winter.

Plant 2-3 times as deep as the bulb is tall, in well-drained soil with 6+ hours of winter sun. If you really want to wait until the fall, you can. Just keep them in a location out of direct sunlight where the air can flow around them. 

Animals: Nothing eats them. Like all narcissus, paperwhites are toxic to deer, squirrels, voles, rabbits, and gophers. Plant them and forget the critter worries — this is a big part of why heirloom clumps persist for a century or more.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 37170934268

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell paper white lily bulbs

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 2301 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
M. Suzanne
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Sturdy
Style: 28oz, Size: 40 Count (Pack of 1)
I like this brand of paper bowl and the price on Amazon was cheaper than the store. They hold up to most foods and don't leak. Great for cereal or spaghetti.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
K
Verified Purchase
Kristen Gooch
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing!
These ball toys are awesome! I have heavy chewing dogs and they love balls. Every time I get a tennis ball it’s chewed up in seconds. These balls last so much longer. They bounce high and they are the perfect size for medium and large dogs. They are durable yet squishy she my dogs can chew them without them coming apart instantly. They have lasted months. Even when they get little chunks taken out I don’t have to worry because they are food grade.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
Ronald s crutcher
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Indestructible
The dogs love them !
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2026
D
Verified Purchase
DM
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Very good quality
They are firm enough for dogs to have them in their mouth but not to hard. They bounce nice and more then once. I will purchase again if my dogs wear theirs out
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
H
Verified Purchase
Heather Jacobs
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
dogs favorite!
our dog can't get enough of these. we have to buy them in packs like this since they end up in places unknown. they don't get torn up and will last forever!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026

recommand products