Dr. T. Ombrello - UCC Biology Department

PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS

Common names:

Paperwhite Narcissus, Paperwhite, Polyanthus Narcissus

Scientific name: Narcissus tazetta

Explanation of scientific name:

Narcissus - a classical Latin name, from the Greek "narke" (meaning narcotic or capable of producing stupor according to Pliny). The Greeks believed that narcissi gave off evil emanations, their scent causing headaches, madness or even death. The name probably does not come from the beautiful youth Narcissus in mythology, who became so entranced with his own reflection that the gods turned him into a flower.

tazetta - an old southern European name, probably connected with the Italian "tazza", meaning cup, in reference to the cup-shaped crown of the flowers.

"The Narcissus wondrously glittering, a noble sight for all, whether immortal Gods, or mortal men; from whose root an hundred heads spring forth, and at the fragrant odour thereof all the broad heaven above, and all the earth laughed, and the salt-wave of the Sea." So said Homer over 2500 years ago, giving one some appreciation of how long people have been admiring narcissi. In all probability, Homer was praising the Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus tazetta 'Paperwhite'), one of literally thousands of varieties and cultivars of the 26 species of the genus Narcissus. Native to the Mediterranean, Paperwhites are closely related to the familiar daffodil, but differ in that they cannot tolerate freezing temperatures and therefore cannot survive our winters outdoors. They are, however, easily grown indoors and that is how most people encounter them. They are occasionally sold as cut flowers. In warm climates they are common garden plants, blooming annually for many years. Growing from bulbs to a height of 1-2 feet each stalk typically produces from 4 to 8 small (one inch) flowers. Pure white is their most common color, and they emit a strong fragrance for the 7 to 10 days they are in bloom.

Paperwhite bulbs are available for purchase in the fall, having been harvested from their growing areas a few months earlier (mostly in Israel). They are ready to bloom, and do not need to be chilled as do our common daffodils in order to force them into bloom in pots indoors. Potted into a well-drained soil or even gravel, they don't need any fertilizer. As long as the soil is evenly moist and the light is bright, they are reliable to the point of being fool proof. Flower development is closely tied to the temperatures at which they are grown. Day temperatures in the 70's F. and evenings in the low 60's F. are ideal. Cooler temperatures really inhibit growth and warmer temperatures shorten the life of the blooms. How long the bulbs are stored before planting can be significant too. For example, bulbs planted in October will take over a month to bloom, but bulbs will bloom in 2 weeks if planted in February. The longer you store them, the faster they will eventually develop.

While the plants could theoretically be grown on after blooming to replenish the stored food in their bulbs so they could re-bloom the next year, this is difficult to accomplish. Most people just add the spent plants to their compost pile, and start anew with fresh bulbs.

As a final note, there is a great deal of confusion that exists over the correct name for this genus of plants. Narcissus, daffodil and jonquil are used interchangeably, and many people believe that all 3 names are synonymous. That isn't exactly true. Narcissus is the correct scientific genus name for this group of plants, but it is also used as a common name. Daffodil is a common name for this group in many English-speaking countries. Jonquil refers to a specific type of Narcissus, and is not a common name for the whole group. The true jonquil is Narcissus jonquilla. For convenience, the genus Narcissus is divided into 11 major divisions based on flower proportions.