This cultivar of narcissus came with my house--one of the few flowering plants there--and, as often, put in an early appearance a few days ago. Last spring it had worked itself into such a huge clump that it barely flowered, and I had one of those lightbulb moments, "It's gotta be divided. Free naturalized narcissi all over the front patch." So I dug up a baseball-size knot of bulbs, separated them, replanted, and as predicted they're raising their cream-and-saltless-butter heads all over. zemedelec
The earliest blooming Narcissus I have is called "Chinese Sacred Lily" which doesn't know what winter is, so puts up fat narcissus-grass in autumn & is very leafy in December -- leave fat & flat like butterknives
-- but it won't bloom until late January or early February. I've other N. tazetta varieties that do seem to detect we have winters here & so wait to appear. I don't think any will bloom in December here (zone 8), not outdoors that is. Paperwhites & such narcissi as are sold for "forcing" will bloom very early if planted out in the garden, but not as early as December. The hoop petticoat narcissi are also very grassy in autumn & winter (extremely slender grass), but even though they will bloom ahead of the other early blooming varieties, it'll still be vastly closer to the last days of winter rather than right now during the first days of winter.
How far south do you live? If "Early Pearl" gets a jump on even the "Chinese Sacred" in my zone, I might look for it next year. Some of the ones that bloom in winter in the deep south or gulf coast, however, are apt to just rot in winter here, & need very high ground in fullest sun to persist, & even then won't bloom as early as December.
Now I'll have to check my Brent&Beckys, because it might be "Early Louisiana". Whatever, it is the variety that first greeted me at the house in New Orleans, Zone 9, about a mile from the Mississippi. zemedelec
Oh, indeed, Pag. I love the Chinese Sacred Lily or China Lily, My grandmother had dozens of them in Long Beach, SoCal. THis is always an early one here in the North Central Valley. I have one in bloom now. I just picked the first blooming stem and there are 6-7 more about ready. This one alwyas blooms in December. It is wedged in between the walk and the raised bed in the veg garden. I think that a gopher moved it there, cause I didn't plant it there! I've other N.
There is a house down the street with a 100 foot row of them, always blooming at Christmas time. Other early ones are Earlicheer and Soleil d'Or. Also I think it is Pipit that is poking its little green ears up now.
Paperwhites & such narcissi as are sold for "forcing"
I haven't seen any paperwhites yet, but in a couple of weeks, maybe.
We have had temps down to about 30, none in the 20s yet. Lots of rain, and not much sunshine.I'm kind of a borderline zone 8. It has not been in the twenties much for the last four or five years, though.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.