Chinese Sacred Lily

— Is it spring yet? Well, some flowers are thinking that way here in Austin, Texas. We have now had several days of unseasonably warm weather. To think we are having daytime highs in the 70s (20s in Celsius) and lows only in the 40s (single digits in Celsius) is not your typical January weather.

Although many plants suffered from the freeze in early January, that is not the case for the Chinese sacred lily. The ones we have planted in our front yard already began blooming, which is something I had only noticed in years past happening until mid-to-late February. Even today, when I went on a walk with a friend, we noticed several flowers blooming at a local park and garden. It remains to be seen what might happen if we have another freeze.

The Chinese sacred lily is also known as paperwhite, bunch-flowered narcissus, bunch-flowered daffodil, and several other names. Its scientific name is Narcissus tazetta. It grows from bulbs. As seen in the photos here, the flowers are white with a golden-yellow center. Its honey-citrus scent is wonderful.