How to Plant Paperwhite Flower Bulbs
Fast Facts
- Planting season
- Fall
- Life cycle
- Annual, Perennial
- Light
- Full Sun, Partial Shade
- Water needs
- Average
- Planting depth
- 6 inches if planting outdoors, Leave the top exposed if planting indoors
- Spacing
- 4 inches
- Mature height
- 14 to 16 inches
- Hardiness zones
- 9 to 11
- Bloom season
- Fall through Winter
Ranges cover every variety in this group. Check the product page for the exact figures.
About Paperwhite Flower Bulbs
Paperwhite Flower Bulbs grow in full sun, partial shade positions. Expect 14 to 16 inches at maturity. Flowering runs fall through winter. The figures below are the ones on the packets in this group; each product page carries the exact numbers for that variety.
When to plant
Plant in fall. Bulbs go in while the soil is still workable, and want to be in the ground long enough to settle before it freezes. Hardy in zones 9 to 11 — your local frost dates decide the exact week.
Where to plant
Choose a site in full sun, partial shade. Water needs are average once the plants are established. Drainage matters more than anything else: bulbs sitting in wet winter soil rot. Allow 4 inches between plants so air can move between them. Plan for 14 to 16 inches of growth when you place them in a bed or border.
How to plant
Set the bulb 6 inches if planting outdoors or leave the top exposed if planting indoors deep, pointed end up, spaced 4 inches apart. Water gently to settle the soil, then keep the surface evenly moist until seedlings or shoots appear.
How to care
Keep watering average, at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves. In zones 9 to 11 these come back each year: let the foliage die down naturally after flowering, since that is what feeds next season's growth. Flowers appear fall through winter; cutting or deadheading regularly keeps more coming.

