Tuberose is a Mexican native bulb celebrated for its intensely fragrant waxy white flowers that appear in tall, dramatic spikes during late summer. Growing 24 to 36 inches tall from a tuberous rhizome, it thrives in zones 7 through 10 and rewards gardeners with elongated clusters of funnel-shaped blooms in August and September. While hardy to zone 7 with protection, tuberose demands full sun and consistent moisture to perform at its best, yet the reward is an unforgettable fragrance that justifies every bit of attention.
8
Full Sun
Moderate
7-10
36in H x 30in W
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Moderate
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The fragrance of tuberose is almost unbelievably intense, a heady, waxy sweetness that fills an entire garden in late summer. Its pale white flowers emerge in stately spikes atop tall, grass-like foliage, creating architectural interest long before the perfume announces their arrival. For gardeners in cooler zones, it lifts rhizomes and stores them over winter like dahlias, extending its growing range well beyond where it naturally survives outdoors year-round.
Tuberose is grown entirely for its cut flowers and the intense fragrance they provide. The waxy white blooms are treasured in floral arrangements and as potted plants that scent entire rooms. Gardeners and florists prize the elongated spikes for their dramatic vertical presence and exceptional, persistent fragrance.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant rhizomes 2 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches apart in spring after the last frost date in a full-sun location with organically rich, well-drained soil.
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“Tuberose probably originated in Mexico, though it no longer exists in the wild and is now considered a cultigen, a plant so thoroughly shaped by human cultivation that its wild ancestor has vanished. Evidence suggests cultivation stretches back to pre-Columbian times, meaning indigenous Mesoamericans valued this rhizomatous plant long before European contact. Over centuries of selective growing and propagation, gardeners have preserved and refined tuberose, passing it forward through generations who prized its extraordinary fragrance.”