SKU: 80697812939
paper white lily bulbs

paper white lily bulbs Old-Fashioned Paperwhites

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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.

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SKU: 80697812939

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Mitesha Nottage
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Great suit
Size: 12, Color: Mint Green, Size: 12, Color: Mint Green
Very nice suit. Love the material. My 11 year old is tall and slim- 5’3”, 80 lbs. I got a size 12 for the length. The jacket fit perfectly, the pants was good length and has elastic in the waist to adjust for size. Overall, it’s a good suit and I’d recommend it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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Jade
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 1
Horrible
Size: 5, Color: Sky Blue
Ordered this for my son’s graduation! They send an entirely different set! It wasn’t even a suit!! It was a shirt and pants which were dark as ever and not light blue! Please do not order this! Quality was cheap for the price as well!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2026
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Thunderboltmysql
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 4
Nice Suit - Light Gray Color OF Suit IS Not A Solid Light Gray, It Has Linear Designs
Size: 12, Color: Light Grey, Size: 12, Color: Light Grey
I had purchased this polyester and linen blend suit for my son, in size 12Y for him in the color light gray. The color of the suit depicted in the advertisement arrived to be a bit different upon arrival. It's not a solid color light gray, it actually has small black liner lines dispersed all over the suit. The coat features a single button in the center, and there are two side pockets fairly decent sized. Unfortunately right above the pockets are red colored lineal horizontal lines. I don't think those lines are part of the coat's design, there definitely is some printing malfunction. It is hard to see in the pictures advertised, you can see it in the pictures and video I have posted clearly. The material of the suit is fairly acceptable, actually better than expected. The child can actually wear it multiple times for various occasions. The suit emits grace along with acceptable stitching in every apparel along with the bowtie. The suit did arrive in a slide bag all folded up, so there were a number of wrinkles especially on the coat, its as if it had lost its shape. I will definitely need to steam iron it before it will be worn. Just like the coat has pockets the tailored pants also have two side pockets, and belt loops in case need of belt if the pants are loose. I'm actually glad I had ordered two sizes up because compared to his current measurements the suit is big on, especially the pants waist and length. I had measured the suit myself and below are the measurements. Pants Waist - 15.25 Inches Pants Length - 35.75 Inches Pant's Inseam 25 Inches Coat's Length - 24.5 Inches Coat's Shoulders - About 14.5 Inches Coat's Sleeve Length - 22 Inches Coat's Chest - 15.5 Inches In addition to the suit, I also received a solid colored light gray, bowtie. The bowtie has an adjustable strap, so you can set the bowtie to your comfort in the collar. You can wear it along the suit or without it if needed to match with something and still manage to look a show topper!. The coat has nice shoulder padding therefore it sits across the shoulders nicely having it hold its shape and style. Overall it's not a bad purchase, suits like these always come in handy for a unexpected or expected events. I'm glad I had purchased this suit I'm sure it'll come to use one day.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026
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Aletha
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Great Suit!
Size: 5, Color: Sky Blue
It fit well and looked very nice on my son
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Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2026
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Coreen Selmon
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Adorable & Stylish Suit
Size: 4, Color: Light Grey
This suit is perfect for special occasions! The linen fabric is lightweight and breathable, great for warmer weather. The slim fit looks sharp, and the light grey color is classy. Comfortable for kids to wear and ideal for weddings or events!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2026

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