When most people think of spring flowers tulips, daffodils and other colorful bulbs come to mind. While bulbs certainly have their merits, there are so many other beautiful flowers that aren’t actually grown from bulbs. Expanding your horizons beyond traditional bulbs opens up new possibilities to give your garden early season charm, striking colors, and exciting textures.
In this article we’ll highlight a variety of flowers that aren’t grown from bulbs along with tips for incorporating them into your own spring landscape.
Perennials That Offer Early Season Color
Many hardy perennials emerge and flower early in the growing season without being grown from bulbs. Here are some top picks:
Hellebores
Hellebores produce gorgeous nodding blooms in shades of white, pink, purple and even black. They flower in late winter and early spring, often while snow is still on the ground! Hellebores are carefree perennials that thrive in shade and deter deer.
Bergenia
Also known as pigsqueak, bergenia produces spikes of rosy pink or white flowers in early spring. Its large rubbery leaves remain attractive all season long. It does best in partial shade with adequate moisture.
Creeping Phlox
In early spring, creeping phlox literally smothers itself in blooms of pink, purple, blue and white. As a mat-forming groundcover, it creates a living floral carpet. It thrives in full sun with good drainage.
Lungwort
Lungwort, or pulmonaria, delights with clusters of pink buds that open to blue blossoms in spring. Its ornamental silver-spotted foliage provides continued interest after blooms fade. Partial shade and even moisture are ideal.
Columbine
Columbines produce graceful nodding flowers in just about every color imaginable. While some bloom in spring, most flower in late spring to early summer. Columbines grow well in part shade and spread readily by seed.
Coral Bells
Varieties of coral bells like ‘Palace Purple’ offer showy purple foliage that makes a dramatic statement in spring. Clusters of tiny white or pink bell-shaped blooms add to the floral display. Grow in part sun with adequate moisture.
Beautiful Annuals That Aren’t Bulbs
Annual flowers flourish quickly from seed to add waves of color to spring gardens and containers. Here are top bulb-free annuals:
Pansies and Violas
Available in almost every color, pansies and violas can be planted as early as late winter in many zones. They produce cheerful blossoms all spring long and even into summer in cooler climates. They prefer full sun and rich moist soil.
Snapdragons
Few flowers evoke spring like snapdragons with theirspikes of tubular blooms. Varieties range from dwarf 6-inch plants to tall 3-4 foot stems for cutting. Snapdragons love full sun and bloom spring through frost.
Dianthus
Also called “pinks”, dianthus offer sweetly fragrant flowers in both single and double forms. Varieties range from 6 inches tall to 3 feet tall depending on type. Most prefer full sun with well-drained soil.
California Poppies
California poppies bear satiny flowers in brilliant shades of orange, red, yellow, purple and white. As welcome self-seeders, they sprout in empty garden spots and flower all spring and summer long. Be sure to grow them in full sun.
Forget-Me-Nots
Dainty Forget-Me-Not blossoms paint your garden blue in spring and thrive in cool conditions. They can be grown as short annuals or let go to self-seed for years of delicate spring flowers. Part sun encourages the most blooms.
Eye-Catching Shrubs and Vines
Beyond bulbs and flowering plants, certain woody shrubs and vines burst into bloom early in the season without being started from bulbs. Some examples include:
Forsythia
Forsythia announces spring’s arrival with its sunny display of yellow blooms coating bare branches. As an easy large shrub, it brightens borders and mixed beds. Provide full sun to part shade and prune after flowering.
Lilacs
The sweet fragrance of lilac blossoms is synonymous with springtime. Depending on variety, lilacs flower in shades of purple, white, pink, and more. Prune soon after blooms fade to keep plants vigorous.
Clematis
Many large-flowered clematis types bloom in early summer, but a few varieties flower in spring. Fragrant Clematis armandii and Clematis alpina bloom on old wood in white or shades of pink.
Wisteria
A show-stopping vine, wisteria explodes with foot-long fragrant racemes, usually in purple or white. Ensure ample sun and prune to control growth. Beware – wisteria can be aggressive if left unchecked!
Spring is the perfect time to take a fresh look at your garden and experiment with new non-bulb flowers. Mix early blooming perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs, and vines together to create a dynamic floral display that evolves as the seasons change. With so many possibilities, your gardens can flourish beautifully each spring – no bulbs required!
Practices to help bulbs and blooms return
Mulching is a common way to help keep the soil at the right temperature and moisture level. But too much mulch can stop bulbs from growing, and too little can make plants more vulnerable to pests and harsh temperatures. For common bulbs like tulips, about 2 inches is the right amount. These bulbs will also make great cover for rodents like voles. Be careful not to cover too many bulbs with mulch, especially small ones, and remember to think about how deep the bulb goes.
One of the other factors that affects a bulb’s carbohydrate reserves is how long leaves are left. In late spring and early summer, after blooms have faded, the leaves are busy photosynthesizing. The resources created during this time are what will fuel the bulb through the next growing season. Leave the leaves until they have yellowed and withered. If you have small bulbs growing on their own in your yard, don’t mow the leaves until they turn yellow.
Deadheading is another action you can take to help your bulbs build up resources. This will stop the seedpod from forming, and resources can be sent to the bulb instead of being used to make seeds.
Grape hyacinth bulbs with a mass of leaves that are busy photosynthesizing. These leaves should not be removed until they have died back naturally. Photo by Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension.
Sometimes bulbs can become overcrowded and this may cause them to flower less. Every few years or whenever you think this might be happening, dig up your clumps, split them up, and plant the new ones. This can be done in late summer or fall, after the foliage has died back.
Where are my bulbs? Why aren’t they flowering?
Isabel Branstrom and
Tips and tricks to ensure your spring bulbs come back year after year.
‘Green Wave’ parrot tulip flowering in the spring. Photo by Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension.
Some of our favorite animals come back in the spring, like sandhill cranes flying above or robins digging for worms. A lot of gardeners are also looking for another sign of spring as they wander around asking, “Where are my bulbs? Why aren’t they flowering?”
The answer to this question can be different for every gardener and for every bulb. As a gardener, you can change some of the things that cause bulbs to not come back every year, but not others. When we try to grow spring bulbs like tulips and hyacinth, we often do so in a very different environment than where they would naturally grow. Many of the problems that hardy bulbs may have staying in the garden all year are caused by this. For these and other reasons, let’s look at what gardeners can do to make conditions that can help flowers come back year after year.
There are factors that affect if a bloom will return even before bulbs are in the ground. One of the first things to check before planting is the quality of the bulbs. Bulbs that aren’t healthy often don’t grow. If they do, the plant will often be stunted. Various fungi and bacteria can infect bulbs and cause root rot, bulb rot and mold. Insect pests may also affect bulbs including various maggots or bulb mites.
Before you put bulbs in the ground, be careful to look for any kind of strange color, texture, or shape. When you squeeze your bulbs, don’t be afraid to find ones that feel dry, look moldy, or are soft to the touch. Avoid planting bulbs with these symptoms. A healthy bulb will be firm to the touch and have a weight appropriate for its size. Larger bulbs also tend to produce healthier plants. It is also important to use gardening tools that are cleaned often to stop the spread of pests and soil-borne pathogens that can hurt bulbs.
A batch of tulip bulbs infested with mites. Bulb mites are often a secondary pest after infection by another insect or a soil-borne pathogen. They can cause stunted and unhealthy plants as well as entry points for other pathogens. Photo by Isabel Branstrom, MSU Extension.
If you planted bulbs last year and aren’t sure why they didn’t come up this year, it could be because of where they were planted. As mentioned previously, many of our spring bulbs are native to a very different climate. Take tulips as an example. They were originally found in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, but they have spread to Afghanistan, Turkey, and other places in the west, as well as to the north and northeast. Many of our original species tulips are adapted to these arid regions with gravelly soil or rocky slopes. Today’s hybrid tulips are the result of years of breeding. They do better in cooler, wetter climates, but they might also do well in your home garden if you choose the right spot for them.
When you are thinking about your site, ask these questions:
How does the soil look and how fertile is it? A soil test can help you figure this out by showing you how much clay, sand, and organic matter are in the soil. Get started on your soil test from Michigan State University Extension.
Different types of bulbs like different types of soil, so do some research to find out if the species you planted does best in sandy mix, rich loamy, or another type. A soil with poor drainage is the enemy of most bulbs. This often leads to rotten bulbs that cannot grow. Adding organic matter either as compost, manure or finely chopped plant matter can help improve soil structure. If the ground doesn’t drain well, moving your bulbs to a different spot is often the best thing to do.
Is it an open area? Will the bulbs be exposed to the weather? Often, the soil protects the bulbs from changes in temperature. However, this is not always the case and depends on soil type. If you plant bulbs in a depression where cold air settles or where they will be hit by strong winds, they might not grow as well. Planting near structures may also affect growth as they can block wind, radiate heat and warm the soil. For late-season frosts, this can speed up the growth of bulbs in the spring, which can be good or bad.
How bright is it? Is it full sun, part sun, or full shade? Many spring bulbs do best in full sun. The warmth of the sun is a big part of what starts growth. It also gives energy to the leaves so they can make enough food for next year’s growth cycle.
One of the most important things you can do to make sure your bulbs come back is to put them in the right place. All bulbs are different, so remember to look up the recommendations for the specific bulb you are planting. You can take a chance and dig up your bulbs and move them in the fall if you know they are not in the best spot. Some bulbs may be unsalvageable due to rotting or because they do not respond well to disturbance.
Proper planting time is all dependent on a soil temperature, which controls the bulb growth cycle. For most spring bulbs, fall is the most ideal time to plant. This is when we get the cooling soil temperatures that signal root growth. If you plant bulbs in the fall, they will get roots at the base (basal plate) that will help them get off to a good start next spring.
As the soil cools in the fall, changes are happening in the bulb that will get the shoot ready for proper growth and flower development when the weather gets warmer again. In the spring when temperatures start to rise, plant growth increases and leads to flowering. Resources from the photosynthesizing leaves are delivered to a newly formed bulb in preparation for next year’s cycle. The new cycle will begin at the end of summer with organ formation in the bulb.
If you plant when the soil is too warm (above 60 degrees Fahrenheit), it can get diseases and rot. Planting when soil temperatures are too cold (below 40 F) can lead to improper root and shoot development. Can’t stand the temperature of your soil? Nighttime temperatures that stay between 40 F and 50 F are a good sign of when to plant.
It is always helpful to reflect on any unusual or extreme changes in climate patterns. As mentioned previously, the bulb growth cycle is largely dependent on temperature. Warm temperatures in summer are needed for organ formation, including the flower meristem. Cooler temperatures in fall and winter signal root growth and shoot elongation. The return of warm temperatures in the spring influences plant growth and flowering. Any interruptions or extreme changes in length can disrupt this cycle.
Ask yourself:
Was this year’s spring unusually warm or early? When spring is unusually warm or early, plants grow faster, but flowers are smaller and vegetation lasts shorter. This can make bulbs less vigorous next year. A summer that is unusually cool can stop flower buds from growing or even make vegetative buds form instead of flower buds. A late frost in spring can also affect the above ground vegetation and stunt next year’s growth. An unusually cold winter can increase the risk of bulb mortality.
Was it unusually dry or wet this year? A drought year can leave bulbs without enough water, which can make flower buds less likely to survive, especially if fall or winter is unusually warm. An unusually wet year can cause bulbs to rot in the soil.
If you plant a bulb at a certain depth, it will be better protected from harsh weather, and the plant will have to grow farther to reach the surface. The proper depth is based on the size of the bulb. In general, plant the bulb three to four times as deep as the bulb height. If your tulip bulb is about 2 inches tall, plant it so that the bottom of the bulb is 6 inches below the soil.
When thinking about planting depth, ask:
We need to remember that the plant is using up the nutrients that built up in the bulbs. Were the bulbs planted too deeply? These stored resources might be enough to get the plant above ground, or they might not be. This may be the case for smaller bulbs that are planted too deep. If you plant too deeply, you might not notice the difference until a few years later, because the first bulb has enough food to grow, but the ones that come after it don’t. They become weaker and weaker due to insufficient nutrient build up.
Were the bulbs planted too deeply? If a bulb is planted too deeply, it is more likely to be exposed to the temperatures above ground, which can mess up its growth cycle. In the case of daffodils, being planted too shallow leads to the development of non-flowering new bulbs. Being too close to the soil surface could also be fatal in the case of unusually cold winters.
Below is a list of common spring bulbs and recommended planting depths based on the usual, purchasable sizes. As mentioned above, planting depth depends on actual bulb size. That is something to keep in mind when you plant if some bulbs are a strange size or shape.
3- to 4-inch planting depth
- Glory of the snow
- Crocus
- Snowdrops
- Grape hyacinth
- Puschkinia
- Squill
5- to 8-inch planting depth
- Daffodil
- Fritillaria
- Hyacinth
- Tulip
Everything you need to know about growing bulbs | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia
Why are my lilies not flowering a year after planting?
If your lilies are not flowering a year or so after planting then this may be because of the size and maturity of the bulb. It takes a lot of energy for a bulb to flower and small bulbs often do not have the energy and resources required for the lily to grow and display flowers in the first year.
What are some non-flowering bulbs?
Elephant ears are another non-flowering bulb that deserve a place in your summer garden. Caladium – too pretty not to include in Flowering Bulbs 101 These unique bulbs add gorgeous color to your fall garden. The most popular fall bulbs are special fall-bearing versions of your favorite spring bulbs.
What plants grow from bulbs?
True bulbs consist of fleshy layers surrounding a center bud, which holds the plant’s embryo. Examples of true bulbs include tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Other plants might grow from corms, rhizomes, or tubers, such as gladioli (corms), irises (rhizomes), and dahlias (tubers). There are several benefits of growing flowers from bulbs, such as:
Do Flowering Bulbs have rhizomes?
Tubers, corms, and rhizomes are often included in lists of flowering bulbs because they have similar growing requirements. I’ll include both true bulbs and these alternatives to give you the full picture and more plants to choose from. Crown Imperials in a spring flower garden. When do you plant flowering bulbs?