When I think of spring flowers, the first images that come to mind are colorful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths poking up from the ground While bulbs certainly have their place in the spring garden, there are so many other beautiful flowers that aren’t actually grown from bulbs. Expanding beyond traditional bulbs opens up new possibilities to give your garden an extra pop of color and texture in the early season.
In this article I’ll highlight a variety of perennials, annuals shrubs, and vines that provide a floral display in spring without being started from bulbs. There are so many options to complement your existing bulbs or create a garden that flourishes in spring with no bulbs required!
Perennials That Offer Early Season Interest
Many classic 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! Deer and rabbits avoid these carefree perennials that thrive in shade.
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 grows 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
Also called pulmonaria, lungwort delights with clusters of pink buds that open to blue blossoms in spring. Its ornamental silver-spotted foliage provides continued interest after blooms fade. It prefers partial shade and even moisture.
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 throughout spring and even into summer in cooler climates. They prefer full sun and rich moist soil.
Snapdragons
Few flowers evoke spring like snapdragons with their spikes 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. Grow 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 allowed 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. It 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!
Troubleshooting Lack of Blooms
Sometimes our carefully planted bulbs fail to put on the spring display we expect. There are a number of possible reasons bulbs may not bloom. Here are some things to check if your bulbs are sprouting foliage but no flowers:
Sunlight – Are bulbs planted in too much shade or blocked from sun? Most need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
Drainage – Wet, soggy soil causes bulbs to rot. Improve drainage or move to a better site.
Foliage removal – Don’t cut back foliage until it totally dies down. Leaves produce nutrients bulbs need.
Overcrowding – Bulbs planted too densely compete for nutrients. Dig and divide bulbs every few years.
Fertilizer – Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers, which produce foliage over flowers. Use bulb fertilizer or bone meal.
Pests & diseases – Viruses and fungus issues can prevent flowering. Remove and destroy affected bulbs.
Maturity – Some bulbs like lilies may not flower the first season. Give them time to mature.
With a little troubleshooting and TLC, your spring bulbs will be back to their gorgeous blooming selves in no time!
Animal browsing and disturbance
Another possible cause for the lack of bulbs in spring is animal damage. There are two primary ways animals can negatively affect bulbs:
- Digging or tunneling. Some small rodents such as squirrels, chipmunks and mice are known to dig up bulbs to eat or save in their winter stash. Tunneling rodents can eat bulbs themselves, like voles; create tunnel access to bulbs by other animals; or compromise bulbs that have roots sensitive to soil disturbance.
- Eating greenery during the previous spring. Because a bulb needs to divert energy from its foliage back into the bulb when its flowering is complete (to prepare for next spring), an animal that eats most of the foliage from a bulb before that energy transition occurs can weaken or destroy it. Deer and rabbits are the most likely to do this, and deer can even pull plants completely out of the soil, bulb and all.
It is important to remember that not all wildlife eats or disturbs flower bulbs, and not all flower bulbs are susceptible to animal damage. If you are suspicious of wildlife damage, check the diet of the suspected animal first. Animals that are primarily carnivorous—meat/insect eaters—will likely not eat bulbs, while herbivores—plant-eating—will. For example, herbivorous voles feed on plant roots, seeds and bulbs, while carnivorous moles mainly eat worms and insects. Gardeners with a recurring mole problem may quickly blame the moles for a lack of spring bulbs when another animal is to blame, although mole tunnels can provide access to bulbs by other animals.
Where animal damage is a regular occurrence, focus on bulbs that animals avoid. All parts of a daffodil are poisonous to animals, and animals do not like the strong scents produced by allium bulbs and their foliage. Some bulbs, such as squill or Puschkinia, are sensitive to soil disturbance created by tunneling animals. In contrast, other less sensitive bulbs, especially ones in heavy and clay soils, may benefit from soil aeration created by a tunneling mole.
Puschkinia can be sensitive to disturbance caused by tunneling animals. Photo by Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension
Practices to help bulbs and blooms return
Mulching is a common practice that can help regulate soil moisture and temperature, but too much can affect bulb growth and too little can make plants more susceptible to harsh temperatures and pests. Around 2 inches is the recommended amount for more common bulbs like tulips, which will also provide excellent cover to rodents like voles. Take care not to over mulch, especially for minor bulbs, and keep total depth of the bulb in mind.
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 minor bulbs naturalizing in your yard, take care not to mow the leaves before they have yellowed.
Deadheading is another action you can take to help your bulbs build up resources. This will prevent the seedpod from forming and can redirect resources into the bulb instead of using them to produce seed.
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 when you suspect this is happening, dig up and divide your clumps and replant them. This can be done in late summer or fall, after the foliage has died back.
A guide to garden bulbs for beginners
FAQ
Which flowers do not grow from a bulb?
- Euphorbia, Yucca and Stipa. They look particularly psychedelic when combined with orangey stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’) and purple creeping phlox (Phlox subulata).
- Sedum, Phlox and Euphorbia. …
- Hypericum, Ophiopogon and Chrysanthemum. …
- Thermopsis with Bee. …
- Phlox, Heuchera and Carex.
What flower grows from a bulb?
Some flower bulbs do well in hot climates: Lilies, Caladiums, Dahlias, Gladiolus, Narcissus (plant) and daffodils. To grow cold weather flower bulbs like Tulips and crocus in hot climates, gardeners must dig up the bulbs and store them in the cold for 3-4 months before replanting.
Do bulbs only produce one flower?
Depending on the color scheme or flower type you’d like in your yard, many bulbs offer multiple blooms per stem!Sep 22, 2020
Why are my bulbs not blooming?
Poorly drained soil: Bulbs need regular moisture, but they won’t tolerate soggy soil. If you think this may be the reason why bulbs won’t bloom, dig up a couple and see if they have rotted. You may need to move your bulbs to a better location. 7 Summer-Blooming Bulbs To Plant In Early Spring: Don’t Miss Months Of Glorious Flowers!
Will a bloom return if a bulb is not in the ground?
There are factors that affect if a bloom will return even before bulbs are in the ground. Bulb quality is one of the first things to check before planting as unhealthy bulbs often do not 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.
Why does my Amaryllis have no flowers?
When an amaryllis has no flowers, you need to look at how you are caring for the bulbs. Every amaryllis is a non-blooming amaryllis some of the time. To understand when it is normal to see no flowers on amaryllis plants, you need a basic understanding of the garden life of an amaryllis bulb.
What grows first on an amaryllis bulb?
When you first plant an amaryllis bulb, it has no flowers or foliage. It is simply a bulb, but it has potential for great things within its papery coating. In a few weeks, a thick flower stalk will shoot up, followed by the flat leaves.
Do bulbs need to be removed if they don’t bloom?
Without the foliage, bulbs may not bloom the following year. It’s safe to remove the stems, but don’t remove the leaves until they turn yellow. Fertilizer problems: Bulbs generally don’t require fertilizer unless the soil is very poor.
What is a bulb flower?
Bulb flowers aren’t just plants but a year-round promise of beauty and resilience. Each season brings its own set of bulbs to the forefront, painting our gardens with their unique palettes and textures.