December - Paperwhites

Fine Gardening Editors, editor

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Photo: Susan Kahn

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Botanical name: Narcissus cvs. such as 'Ziva', 'Bethlehem', and 'Chinese Sacred Lily'

Common name: Paperwhite, daffodil

If you were born in December, your birth flower is paperwhite. Paperwhites are actually daffodils and they really are the perfect December flower. They smell absolutely wonderful and are surprisingly easy to grow indoors. Just pick up some paperwhite bulbs when you're buying your other spring-bloomers and pot them up for a much-needed mid-winter display (see the links below for detailed instructions on forcing bulbs).

A little history on Narcissus: The stories about how the daffodil gets its botanical name are pretty conflicted. Some say Narcissus comes from Greek mythology. The Greek god Narcissus spotted his own reflection in a pool, fell in love with it, fell into the pool, and drowned. And then daffodils either grew--or were planted--at the place where he died. It's also speculated that the daffodil was named for the Greek word narkoa, which means "to numb," because daffodils have narcotic (and toxic) properties.

Further Reading:
Flowering Paperwhites for Winter Windowsills
Forcing Bulbs like paperwhites: Watch a video or read about it

See all birth flowers/plants:
January: Carnation, February: Iris, March: Daffodil, April: Daisy, May: Lily of the Valley, June: Rose, July: Delphinium, August: Gladiola, September: Aster, October: Pot Marigold, November: Chrysanthemum, December: Paperwhite

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