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Bunchflower Daffodil

Narcissus tazetta (nar-SIS-us taz-ET-tuh)

Family: Amaryllidaceae Non-native Herbaceous

Paper White Narcissus is a herbaceous perennial bulb in the onion family. It typically grows to 18 inches tall, but has been known to reach 30 inches. This plant has narrow, upright foliage, and fragrant white blossoms in early to mid-spring. Paper White Narcissus does best in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Soils should be kept uniformly moist with good drainage during the growing season, but drought is tolerated while dormant. It tolerates heat, but not extremely wet conditions. This plant benefits from the addition of bone meal or super phosphate to the planting hole. Flowers usually face the sun, so plant bulbs with any shade areas to the rear of the planting. It is good for naturalizing and has a spreading habit. Plant in the fall, 6 weeks before the first freeze, at a depth that is 2 to 3 times the size of the bulb, but at least 3 inches deep. Space bulbs 4 to 10 inches apart with larger bulbs further apart than smaller ones. The spaces will fill in over time as the plants spread. Flowers can be removed after blossoming, but cut foliage back only after it has browned naturally. The Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center has an article on forcing bulbs, N. tazetta in particular, for indoor flowers. Quick ID Hints: 3 to 20 flowers per stem, leaves are flat Perianth segments are spreading, not reflexed, and white Flowers are fragrant Corona is yellow Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is pest and disease free due to its poisonous alkaloid content. Watch for slugs, snails and bulb mites. Bulb rot can occur in wet soils. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants", a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Narcissus .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 51 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Narcissus pseudonarcissus Narcissus x incomparabilis Narcissus x odorus

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Herbaceous Perennial
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are basal, strap-like, entire, erect, twisted, keeled and glaucous, up to 16 inches long and less than an inch wide.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are scapose, horizontal to ascending, fragrant, 1.5" in diameter, and subtended by a one-valved, membranous spathe. Flowers have a perianth tubular at the base with 6 segments. Perianth segments are white, broad ovate, entire, and incurving. The corona is yellow, conspicuous, cup-shaped, and less than an inch long and wide.
Bloom time
Spring
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Canary Islands, Mediterranean countries. east to China, Japan
Distribution
Australia, Britain, Southeastern United States (Virginia to Florida and west to Texas)
Food & Medicine

Uses (ethnobotany)

Grown commercially in France for its essential oil.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Lawn; Walkways
Design feature
Accent; Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#white flowers #fragrant flowers #rabbit resistant #deer resistant #pest resistant #heat tolerant #drought tolerant #disease resistant #spring flowers #fantz #spring interest #HS302 #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #th-wildlife #th-smell
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Slugs and Snails Found on Flowers and Foliage; Bulb Mites; Narcissus Bulb Fly
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Diseases; Drought; Heat; Insect Pests; Rabbits
Particularly resistant to
Resistant to pest and disease.
Propagation
Division; Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison symptoms
Vomiting, salvation, diarrhea; large ingestions cause convulsions, low blood pressure, tremors, and cardiac arrhythmias. Bulbs are the most poisonous part
Toxic principle
Lycorine and other alkaloids
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.