Guide to Identifying Spring Bulbs

It's a long time between Fall and Spring, so it is quite common to forget where you might have planted all those flower bulbs once the snow melts. Of course some of the emerging flowers below aren't bulbs, but they still come up earlier than most other perennial plants. Below are some photos I took this month of early spring plants in case you wonder what is happening in your garden.

Daffodils

Tulips

When I first started gardening, I could never remember the difference between daffodils and tulips. From the above two photos, you can easily see the difference. Tulips have pointed leaves, daffodils have rounded leaves. My tulips also have a red shade to the leaves.

Hyacinth

Above is an emerging Hyacinth. The leaves stay tight and wrapped like this until they get pretty high out of the ground. Once out, the fragrance is amazing!

Iris

The best way to identify an emerging Iris is to look at the fan shape of the leaves.

Alliums

Probably one of my favorite bulbs that I wish would last longer. The larger alliums, like the one above, look like a pointed triangle when they first emerge. I have daffodils planted next to them, so the points of the allium make it easy to differentiate the two.

Peonies

Yes, peonies are not bulbs, but they do start to come up early (and I love them). The are quite noticeable in the garden with their red arms sticking out of the ground. They are classified as either early, mid, or late varieties.