double mexican tuberose

polianthes tuberosa

“The pearl” 

Tuberose, scientific name polianthes, is a perennial flowering plant known for elegant blooms and intoxicating fragrance.

Native to Mexico, this plant requires full sun and well draining soil. Lovely in flower arrangements, they will naturally fill your home with a gentle aroma.

Pollinators love its unique form and heady fragrance, which is reminiscent of gardenias and orange blossoms, and is often used in perfume making.

TUBEROSE & POLIANTHES LORE

'Polianthes' comes from Greek, meaning 'many flowers,' while 'tuberosa' refers to its tuberous roots.

Tuberose amps up its fragrance at night, a strategy to attract pollinator moths. Tuberose is a 'sphingophilous' plant, meaning moth-loving. As night falls, it releases a cocktail of volatile organic compounds, primarily benzyl alcohol, methyl benzoate, and eucalyptol. These compounds are like a siren song to hawk moths, its primary pollinators. The flower's long, tubular shape is perfectly designed for the moth's long proboscis.

In the 17th century, tuberose was so prized that it was known as the 'Mistress of the Night’, and young maidens were forbidden from inhaling its scent after dark, fearing it might inspire impure thoughts.

  • No, tuberose thrives when planted outdoors in direct sunlight.

  • Make sure they aren’t ever thirsty (dry soil, wilting) but don’t soak them too frequently if there hasn’t been enough sun.

  • We currently have an experiment underway, will report back.