Paperwhites Indoors: When to Plant for Scent at Christmas

In short: Paperwhites need no cold spell. The RHS says good bulbs flower 6–10 weeks after planting, and bulb growers quote as little as 4–6 weeks in a warm room. To have scent indoors at Christmas, plant a pot every two weeks from mid-October to late November. Prepared hyacinths are slower: ‘Anna Marie’ needs 8 weeks cool and dark plus 18 days indoors, so it must be planted by about 12 October.

Paperwhites indoors are the easiest scented bulbs you will ever grow: no garden, no soil if you prefer, flowers in weeks. They are also easy to get wrong. Plant too early and they are over by mid-December. Plant too late and they open on New Year’s Day, on stems so tall they fall across the table.

This guide shows you when to plant paperwhites indoors for Christmas, which variety to choose if you are sensitive to their scent, the Cornell trick that keeps them upright, and which hyacinths you can still get into flower in time.

Paperwhites indoors: the timing that works

The RHS says paperwhites planted indoors flower 6 to 10 weeks later. Florissa, a Dutch bulb company, says paperwhites are ready 4–6 weeks from planting, and its ‘Ziva’ within 3–4 weeks. The difference is mostly warmth and light: a warm, bright room is fast, a cool hallway is slow.

You do not need to guess. Plant in batches two weeks apart and one of them will open over Christmas, with the others either side of it.

Bulb	Cold period needed	Planting to flowers	Plant for Christmas	Scent
Paperwhite ‘Ziva’	None	3–4 weeks (seller); up to 10 weeks in a cool room	Batches from mid-October to late November	Sweet and musky, strong
Paperwhite ‘Inbal’	None	4–6 weeks (seller)	Batches from mid-October to mid-November	Faint; many people call it scentless
Narcissus ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’	None	6–10 weeks	Mid- to late October	Light and fruity, yellow flowers
Prepared hyacinth ‘Anna Marie’	8 weeks at about 9°C (48°F), dark	Plus 18 days indoors	By 12 October	Fragrant, pale pink
Prepared hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’	10 weeks at about 9°C (48°F), dark	Plus 22 days indoors	By 24 September; plant now for January	Pink flowers; scent not given by the RHS

The paperwhite scent figures come from Florissa; the hyacinth timings from the RHS. The RHS adds that low temperatures slow hyacinths down, so treat every date as a starting point.

Which paperwhite should you choose?

Paperwhites divide people. Some love the scent; others find a bowl of ‘Ziva’ too heavy for a small room. Choose before you buy:

• You want the full, heady scent: ‘Ziva’, one of the most popular bulbs for forcing indoors. Put it in a hall or a kitchen, not a bedroom.
• You share a small flat or dislike strong scents: ‘Inbal’, so faint that many people consider it odourless.
• You want something different: ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’, yellow with a light, fruity aroma, or the Chinese sacred lily, which Florissa describes as smelling of honey, clove and citrus.
• You want a sweeter, flowery scent instead: grow a prepared hyacinth in a glass vase (see below).

How to grow paperwhites indoors, step by step

You can grow them in pebbles and water or in compost. Both work.

In pebbles and water

1. Choose a bowl without drainage holes. Fill it a third full with washed gravel or pebbles.
2. Set the bulbs on the gravel, pointed end up, close together but not touching.
3. Add more gravel around them until only the tips show.
4. Add water until it just touches the base of the bulbs, and keep it at that level. Bulbs sitting in water rot.
5. Iowa State University suggests a cool (7–10°C / 45–50°F), dark place for 2–3 weeks so roots form first.
6. When the shoots are about 7.5 cm (3 in) tall, move the bowl to a sunny window at 15–21°C (60–70°F).
7. Once the flowers open, move the bowl out of direct sun. The flowers last longer.

In compost

The RHS method: plant several bulbs per pot with their tips just below the surface of peat-free multipurpose compost or bulb fibre, water well and stand the pot on a warm, sunny windowsill. Be ready to support the stems, because they can get lanky.

Stop paperwhites flopping: the Cornell trick

Paperwhites grown in a warm room often stretch until they topple over. Researchers at Cornell University’s Flower Bulb Research Program found that a little alcohol in the water keeps them shorter without harming the flowers.

1. Start the bulbs in plain water, as above.
2. After about a week, when roots are growing and the shoot is 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) above the bulb, pour off the water.
3. Replace it with a 4–6% alcohol solution: 1 part 40% spirit (vodka or gin) to 7 parts water. With 70% rubbing alcohol, use 1 part to 10 or 11 parts water.
4. Top up with the same solution from then on.

Cornell reports stems one-third to one-half shorter, while the flowers are not affected. Do not use beer or wine: Cornell warns that their sugars cause problems. Do not go stronger either. Above 10% alcohol, growth problems start.

Two other things help: the coolest bright window you have, and a few twigs from the garden pushed in around the bulbs as a natural support.

Hyacinths indoors: prepared bulbs and glass vases

Hyacinths give a different, more floral scent, but they need a cool, dark start. For flowers at Christmas, buy bulbs labelled “prepared”. The RHS method:

1. Wear gloves: hyacinth bulbs can irritate the skin.
2. Plant in moist bulb fibre or open-textured peat-free compost, with the tops of the bulbs just showing. No feed is needed.
3. Keep the pots cool and dark, ideally at 9°C (48°F). A black polythene bag in a cellar or garage works, or a sunless spot outdoors against a north wall under 15 cm (6 in) of bark.
4. Check regularly and water if the fibre is drying out.
5. When the shoots are 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) long, bring the pots into a cool room away from bright light, then to a window in a warmer room after a few days.
6. Keep them away from radiators and draughts. If the leaves grow faster than the flower bud, put the pot back in the dark for a day or two.

In a glass vase: choose a bulb slightly smaller than the vase neck. Fill the vase with water to just below the base of the bulb, then treat it like a potted hyacinth. Watching the roots grow down through the water is half the pleasure.

Your Christmas planting calendar for 2026

• By 12 October: prepared hyacinth ‘Anna Marie’ into the cool and dark (RHS timing for Christmas).
• Mid-October: first pot of paperwhites, or ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’.
• Late October: second pot of paperwhites.
• Early to mid-November: third and fourth pots.
• Late November: a last paperwhite pot, for scent into January.
• Early December: check the hyacinths. Bring them in when the shoots reach 4–5 cm.

Missed the hyacinth date? Plant them anyway. They will flower in January or February, when the house needs scent just as much.

After flowering

Paperwhites are not hardy in a cold-winter garden. Iowa State University advises discarding the bulbs after flowering, because they cannot be forced again. The RHS suggests drying them off and replanting in containers later if you want to try. In a Central European garden, the compost heap is the honest answer.

Hyacinths can go into the garden. The RHS says to let them die down naturally, then plant them at twice their own depth. Expect smaller, looser flower spikes in later years: just right at the edge of a scented bulb pot.

Pets and children

The ASPCA lists narcissus, including paperwhites, as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and says the bulbs are the most poisonous part. Hyacinths are listed as toxic to all three as well. Keep bowls where pets cannot reach them, store spare bulbs away from the kitchen (they look like small onions), and keep the alcohol solution out of reach of children and pets.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant paperwhites for Christmas?

From mid-October to late November, in batches two weeks apart. The RHS gives 6–10 weeks from planting to flowers and bulb sellers quote 4–6, so staggered pots make sure some open over Christmas.

Do paperwhites indoors need to be chilled?

No. Unlike hyacinths, paperwhites need no cold period. A cool, dark start of two to three weeks helps roots form, but you can also plant them straight onto a warm, sunny windowsill.

Why do my paperwhites smell bad?

Scent is personal, and ‘Ziva’, one of the most popular paperwhites, has a strong, musky scent that some people dislike. Try ‘Inbal’, which is almost scentless, or grow hyacinths instead.

How do I stop paperwhites falling over?

Grow them in the coolest bright window you have, and once the shoots are 2.5–5 cm tall, water them with a 4–6% alcohol solution (1 part vodka or gin to 7 parts water). Cornell found this makes the stems a third shorter without affecting the flowers.

Can I plant paperwhites outside after flowering?

Not in a garden with cold winters. Paperwhites are not hardy, and Iowa State University advises discarding them after flowering.

Is it too late to force hyacinths for Christmas?

It depends on the variety. The RHS gives 24 September as the Christmas planting date for ‘Pink Pearl’ and 12 October for ‘Anna Marie’. A prepared hyacinth planted later will still flower indoors, just in January or February.

Your next step

Buy your bulbs this week, while the choice is good. Plant the first bowl this weekend and mark the next three dates in your diary.

Tell us in the comments: are you a paperwhite person, or does their scent send you out of the room?

For scent outdoors as well, see Winter Pots That Smell Good. A bowl of planted bulbs also makes a lovely present: our gifts from the garden guide has the label wording.

Sources

• RHS: Bulbs for Christmas flowering
• RHS: Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Anna Marie’
• Cornell Flower Bulb Research Program: Pickling your paperwhites
• Iowa State University Extension: How do you force paperwhite narcissus?
• Florissa: Indoor narcissus and paperwhites
• ASPCA: Narcissus
• ASPCA: Hyacinth

Last updated: 10 October 2026 · Scented Garden