Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Paperwhite Narcissus: sweet or foul smell?

Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
in Plants
Just back from my garden where I had a sniff at my Narcissus Tazetta ‘Paperwhite Ziva’. Can't decide what they actually smell like. How would you describe the smell of this peculiar bulb?

Paperwhite Narcissus: sweet or foul smell? 17 votes

lovely fragrance
41%
ObelixxBusy-LizzieD0rdogne_DamselWonkyWomblecelcius_kkwedev08JessicaS 7 votes
foul smell
41%
LynCebePapi JoBig Blue Skynewbie77justflowersshane.farrell 7 votes
neither sweet nor foul
17%
JennyJamancalledgeorgetui34 3 votes
they don't smell
0%
«1

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    neither sweet nor foul
    I find them scented, not particularly sweet but not unpleasant. OH thinks they smell like electrical burning though, so I don't have them indoors.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    foul smell
    I bought them for my mum, my daughter and myself, we all agreed they smell like dog poo and put them outside, couldn’t stand them in the house. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited January 2021
    When a plant is described as 'scented' ,the assumption will always be that the scent is pleasant.
    Let that be a lesson in life to us all. 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,291
    edited January 2021
    They are strong - nearly something pleasant about them, but in the main they smell of cat urine. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • JemulaJemula Posts: 196
    To me they smell a bit like calamine lotion.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    lovely fragrance
    I like the scent.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 753
    lovely fragrance
    When I first smelled it I thought  it was foul.. but then as time went on I’ve grown to really love the scent. Towards the end I actually thought they smell of sweet vanilla and couldn’t get enough of it. 😊
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    I don't mind them but my mother hates them so I no longer grow them. Instead, I like 'Yellow Cheerfulness'.and 'Bridal Wreath' which, IMO, smell nicer. I have them in pots outside by the front door.
  • historymanhistoryman Posts: 141
    Given a pot - hate smell - so put them in greenhouse where I have mice problems maybe a coincidence but when they bloomed the mice disappeared. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    They seem to smell quite different nowadays to the old fashioned Paperwhites I used to grow. I prefer the old ones 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.