Ever heard of paperwhites? They’re a variety of delicate white daffodils that famously flower over Christmas. If you want blooms on the day itself, though, you’ll need to know when to plant paperwhite bulbs.
Learning how to grow paperwhite daffodils is relatively straightforward, but timing is everything if you want the flowers to last the festive season. We’ve almost reached the end of the planting window, actually – but there’s still time if you get planting soon.
This is the best time to plant paperwhite bulbs, according to experts – with a few varieties and planting recommendations to get you started.
Paperwhite daffodils are one of the best Christmas houseplants you can grow for festive flowers, and although they’re not technically indoor plants, they’re often forced indoors for a winter display. If you’re wondering when to plant paperwhite bulbs for Christmas blooms, you’ll need to pencil the task into one particular month on the calendar.
‘To have flowers right around Christmas, the best time to plant is usually mid-November,’ says Elise Harlock, flower expert at Prestige Flowers.
‘Most paperwhites take about four to six weeks from planting to flowering, so timing them within that window gives them just the right amount of time to root, grow and open their beautifully scented white flowers in time for the festivities.’
Now, we’ve passed the mid-November mark at this point in the month – in fact, we’re closer to December now – so I asked Elise if we can still plant paperwhite bulbs now for a Christmas display.
‘Absolutely!’ she says. ‘There’s still a good chance you’ll get flowers for Christmas, especially if you choose a fast-forcing type like ‘Ziva’. You can buy Narcissus papyraceus 'Ziva' bulbs at Crocus from £8.39 for 10 bulbs.
They might flower closer to the New Year if you’re planting them later on, Elise says, but you’ll still ring in 2026 with a lovely display. They’re also brilliant plants to grow for cut flower arrangements in winter, which is especially handy during the colder months of January and February.
There is a way to speed the flowers along a little bit, though.
‘You can help nudge them along by keeping them in a warm, bright room once they’ve started sprouting,’ Elise advises.
What to grow paperwhite bulbs in for Christmas blooms
It’s also a good idea to think about what growing medium you’d like to grow the paperwhites in. They’re adaptable, thriving in a range of different indoor mediums, according to Elise. As long as they have access to moisture, they should flower happily over the Christmas period.
For a more traditional look, Elise recommends planting them in a shallow layer of compost (Westland Bulb Compost from Amazon is a solid choice) – but you can also nestle them into gravel, decorative pebbles, or moss. You can buy sphagnum moss from Amazon, too.
Paperwhites are also favourites of gardening expert and author Sarah Raven, who loves to decorate them over the winter months.
'Narcissi ‘Paperwhites’ is my favourite festive houseplant for hallways – a beautifully fragrant and nostalgic daffodil,’ Sarah says. ‘Decorate narcissi with branches of silver birch or hazel at the base, and as a final touch, hang silver and clear glass baubles on the twigs for a wonderful display.’
Get planting this week for a beautiful display of paperwhite daffodils over Christmas!
