Paper White Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus)

Beautifully scented narcissus that is hard to miss and looks stunning in clumps. Generally the Paper White Narcissus is found in December, January, and February.

 

In the winter months around the Serrania, you really won’t need to go very far to see more Paper White Narcissus than you could ever dream of.

Around Ronda and the Pueblos Blancos – the white villages – you won’t even need to get off the beaten track. This highly scented flower blooms in December through to February while the weather is cool, and if March and April are wet and cold they may stay in flower.

According to all the guidebooks I’ve read, the Paper White Narcissus responds well to indirect light (and temperatures of 10 – 18 degrees celsius), and my own observation is that individuals may do well in full sun or exposed areas, but I generally see prettier clumps protected beside olive trees, or beside buildings.

They do seem to clump in sodden turf, and wherever the ground dries out too much they will quickly stop flowering, though this isn’t an absolute rule.

I’ve found the best time to photograph the Paper Whites is a day or two after the rain, but make sure you wear good shoes because you will sink a couple of inches into the mud if you get too close to them.

With their slender green leaves, the Paper White can be difficult to identify if it isn’t in flower, but during flowering, and then after they are quite distinctive.

The Paper White has only a very small amount of yellow, in the stamens, the rest of the flower and petals being white. Immediately surrounding the stamens will be a round white corona, and then usually six petals.

The white petals of the Paper White can vary quite a bit, from six narrow petals, to a combination of three straight pointy petals and three shorter rounder petals, and I’ve been told, as many as eight or nine petals.

After the flower has died, a green pea will remain on the end of the stem.