Narcissus (Paperwhite) — December's Flower

December also Holly Winter

The paperwhite narcissus produces clusters of small, intensely fragrant white flowers and is often forced from bulbs to bloom indoors during winter, filling a room with scent when gardens are bare. A serene keepsake.

What the narcissus (paperwhite) says

In the Victorian language of flowers, meanings were a shared code — close enough to look up, personal enough to feel chosen. The narcissus (paperwhite) traditionally carries:

  • Traditionally a flower of good wishes and respect
  • Associated with hope in winter

December keeps a second flower too — the holly — for the months where one bloom never felt like enough.

The month around it

A December birthday sits under Sagittarius and Capricorn, alongside the month's stone (Turquoise) and its full moon, the Cold Moon. The flower is the soft-spoken one of the three.