Plant of the week

NARCISSUS PAPYRACEUS: PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS

WALK in the countryside of southernmost Spain, from late October and you could discover fragrant wild narcissi in bloom. These will be Narcissus papyraceus, a late-autumn flowering species which grows close to the Mediterranean.

We know it as a florist’s item, or as an indoor bulb. The leaves are long and narrow, like other narcissi. Small white flowers are carried in clusters atop tall stems and they’re intensely fragrant.

These bulbs are the easiest of all to grow. For best results, plant bulbs now in a large bowl of gravel. Half fill the bowl with water, and keep it topped up. Place the bowl on a sunny windowsill and the buds should appear in about six weeks.