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5 bulbs for $7 — normally 5 for $15
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Shipping: Begins shipping the first of September
Each pack contains 5 bulbs, sized 15/16 cm. A rare antique treasure of the South — and one of the few heirloom narcissus you can force for the holidays and plant in the garden for decades. Crisp golden cups sit against refined white petals, in clusters of five to ten sweetly fragrant blooms on each stalk — a fragrance so prized its extract has been used in perfumes. In China this is the flower of the New Year, traditionally forced in bowls of water and pebbles to bloom right at the celebration.
How It Differs from Paperwhites
While closely related to paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus), the Chinese Sacred Lily generally has:
- Larger flowers with a more pronounced yellow cup.
- Fewer, larger blooms per stem than many paperwhite cultivars.
- A richer, sweeter fragrance that many gardeners find less sharp than traditional paperwhites.
- A long history of being forced in water as a cultural tradition rather than primarily grown for winter indoor decoration.
When I first saw these bulbs, it was near Schulenburg, Texas, an old German community along Interstate 10 in Texas known for its many beautifully painted churches. That was in January, and for many years I saw them blooming in January. Their golden cups usually catch my eye first, but if they are hidden with some other winter growing plants in a garden that I might be visiting, I can sometimes smell them first.
This last Thanksgiving, our Chinese sacred lilies began blooming in the back corner of our field. What a welcome delight for a Thanksgiving dinner table! They had none of the strong fragrance that sometimes deters seasonal flowers from being brought in for a dinner table. Nothing but praise and celebration for the blooms was heard — and I've done this bulb thing long enough that folks are past offering me polite compliments and straight on to honesty. Why would they bloom early that year? I believe the weather patterns forced them to bloom.
- To force: (Blooms appear about 4-6 weeks after planting)
- No chilling required — plant in a bowl of pebbles and water or a pot of soil, just like a paperwhite, and count back about 5 weeks from Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, or Chinese New Year.
- Place in full sun and turn the pot daily so the stems grow straight.
- In the garden: (zones 8-10)
- Plant in well-drained soil with plenty of winter sun. Across the South they bloom from late fall into January, when little else in the garden is going.
- To naturalize, let the foliage die down naturally each spring — old stands along the Gulf Coast have been shared gardener to gardener for generations.
- Like all narcissus, deer, squirrels, and other critters leave them alone.
Highlights
- Produces clusters of elegant, star-shaped white flowers with bright yellow centers.
- Highly fragrant—its sweet perfume can fill an entire room.
- Exceptionally easy to force indoors, requiring only water and pebbles or stones.
- A traditional gift and holiday flower that symbolizes wealth, happiness, and good luck.
- Makes an excellent cut flower, with multiple blooms opening on each stem for a long-lasting display.
Garden Performance
In warm climates (USDA Zones 8–10), Chinese Sacred Lily can be planted outdoors after blooming and may naturalize over time in well-drained soil. It thrives in sunny to lightly shaded locations and performs best where winters are mild.
