Summer tuberose
This bulb's long-lasting flowers scent the garden. Here's how and when to plant them
Known for their intense, luscious fragrance, tuberose is a welcome addition to the summer garden. Native to Mexico, tuberoses grow from rhizomes, and have long-lasting blooms in summer or early fall that make perfect cut flowers.
The look: Tuberoses have single- or double-flowered white blooms on stems that reach 3½ feet tall. Grassy leaves reach about half that height.
Planting: Tuberoses require four or more months of warm weather before flowering, and many nurseries sell blooming plants in summer. If you want to plant from rhizomes and live in a warm-weather area, you can plant outdoors in the ground. Space rhizomes 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. In cooler areas, start them indoors in containers and set out when the ground warms in spring.
