A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Nobody told me these stunk

P.U. These "Paper White" Narcissus blooms stink. I kept walking through the room thinking "what is that SMELL" It is these blooms! Yuck. Am I the only one that thinks these flowers stink to high heaven? I think I will try and plant these things outside from now on.

They do have a spicy scent...some like it, some don't. I had mine in the dining room, and as soon as you walked in the room you were hit with that smell. The same goes for Stargazer Oriental Lilies...they have a strong smell that some people don't like.

I never smelled the "Paper White" Narcissus, But I LOVE the stargazer Oriental Lilies!!!!!!!!! My fiance is Highly allergic to all the pollen from the lilies, I just found out you can just Lop off all the little Pollen "Thingies" and that takes care of his allergies.....

Ninni

I have to admit, I don't like the smell either....

I do like the lilies, as long as it's from a small distance.. they are strong I think.....
*I have some white stargazers, I can smell from
my mother's yard, NEXT DOOR, they're soooo strong.*

Yep, Ninni, if you just cut off those big stamen's on the lilies.... they do cute down on your allergies..
and, that stuff stains like crazyyyyyyyyy!!!
So, it's good to cut them off if you bring the flowers in for a vase.

I like the scent and use them as cut flowers in my living room & guest room.

A friend gave them to me a couple of years ago. I have to admit, I didn't like the "odor" either. I had to put them far away from the house. The friend who gave them to me loves Paper Whites. To each his own, I guess!!!!!

I have some of the Stargazer Oriental Lilies and I do like the scent of them it seems like a sweet spicey scent, and do I not find the scent from the paperwhites that bad but of course mine are outdoors.

A little note here. All cats are allergic to all lily pollen. If you bring the flowers indoors and your cat gets pollen on them, then clean themselves, they can die in just a few hours.

Tina...do you have any links to the cat allergy info? lillies are my wife's favorite...we have a little bouquet on the coffee table right now, and I have some rhizomes I was going to plant, and a few around the yard already.
I also have a client who has a major planting of all kinds of lillies. They have a cat, and neighbors' cats come and go,as well...that's scary.

ifyougoto purina's website www.purina.com Ithink anyway there is a listing of whatis poisonousto cats/dogs.

I found this information with Google...lillies are terrifically poisonous to cats, particularly the leaves. I have 6 stella d'oro daylillies I recently potted on our porch, where our cats like to hang out...the leaves extend above the soil. I have to figure out how to make them secure from the cats now. I also have lillies in the house, valentines flowers I bought yesterday for my wife.


http://www.wnca.com.au/Lilies%20toxic%20Malik.htm

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=444574

I started a new thread on the lilies in the Banter Hall called Poisonous to Cats, if anyone wants to have a look.

Its funny, we had paperwhites this winter and a friend said that they couldn't stand the smell. I'd never heard anyone say that before. growing up, there were always paperwhites in the house for the holidays. I love that sweet smell.
Maybe I'm just nostalgic