These spring ephemerals aren't just my favorite--they are also the ones that come back year after year.
These are some of the earliest--and prettiest--spring ephemerals in my Z5 garden.
1. Rock Iris, iris reticulata
2. Snow Crocus, Crocus tommasinianus
3. Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla
4. Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa luciliae alba
5. Species Tulip, Tulipia spp.
6. Grecian Windflower, Anemone blanda
7. Hellebore Lenten rose, Helleborus x hybrid
8. Daffodil, Narcissus
9. Prairie Smoke, Geum trifolium
10. Honorable Mentions
Check out the video on the left for more tips on designing with spring bulbs.
1. Rock Iris, iris reticulata
The earliest bloom in my garden.
Blooms in Late March, Usually April
Full sun
HZ: 5-9
Height: 4" to 6"
Color: White, blue, purple
Iris reticulata, or rock iris is a perennial bulb native to Turkey, the Caucasus, Northern Iraq and Iran. Like most bulbs, it doesn't like to be too wet during the summer. It might prefer soils lighter than mine, but it has perennialized in my heavy silt soil anyway.
There is a lot to love about this little guy. It's a charming early riser that is something different from your usual suspects. You can find it in colors from white to blue to purple and everything in between. And if you have squirrels, this is a great alternative for crocus, sharing a similar bloom period and height. It doesn't seem to struggle to push up from my heavy mulch. Every spring I think it would look better if I removed some of the mulch, but reflecting back on these photos in the lushness of June makes me appreciate the dry leaves and wood chips.
According to bulb sites it's a good naturalizer. But while it's become perennial in my dry front garden, I have yet to see it spread. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to expand my patch of this lovely little bulb some day.
Rock iris prefers full sun to light shade and well-draining soil. It can be quite drought-tolerant once established but appreciates moisture during its growth and blooming period. Plant bulbs in the fall.
Iris reticulata is a zero maintenance bulb. Actually, that's what it prefers. Tidy gardeners beware, like all bulbs we have to let the foliage die back naturally instead of trimming it back. This allows the plant to store energy for the next growing season. I find that the foliage is so small and grass-like that it doesn't bother me. While it can tolerate a range of soil conditions, adding organic matter like compost can help improve its performance.
PROS
Deer resistant
Squirrel resistant
Drought tolerant
Very first bloom of the year
Goddamn whimsical
CONS
Blooms are short-lived
Perennialized, but not naturalized*
Only hardy to Z5
*A perennialized bulb is one that successfully comes back year after year, usually increasing in plant size via bulblets. A naturalized bulb is one that is so happy it spreads itself about the garden, increasing in number and vigor.
2. Snow Crocus, Crocus tommasinianus
Crocus are the most genuine and delightful sign of spring I know.
Blooms in Late March or Early April
Full sun
HZ: 4-8
Height: 4"
Color: White, yellow, purple
I don't know of anyone who doesn't love snow crocus, or crocus tommasinianus. I grow a few varieties, including 'Ruby Giant' and 'Lilac Beauty'. In Zone 4 gardens, their variegated, grass-like foliage is often the very first sign of life. I love how their petals open and close to protect from frost and damage--they are like a little weather reflector that tells you whether or not it's currently nice outside. Not terribly helpful, but really, really cheerful.
Snow crocus have a wide natural range, appearing from Europe to North Africa to western Asia. Like most bulbs, they appreciate moisture while they are actively growing and flowering, but prefer to stay as dry as possible during the summer while the bulb is inactive. Like every flower on this list, crocus are ephemeral, meaning they will quickly flower, photosynthesize as fast as possible, and die back to the ground, ready to put on a show for next year. Let the foliage die back naturally if you want the bulb to remain healthy.
There is so much to love about crocus. From their lovely strappy foliage to their beautiful colors, they are really one of the best bulbs of spring.
And one of the tastiest.
Squirrels love these things. Apparently crocus tommasinianus is the least tasty to squirrels. I've heard of people trying everything to keep the buggers away, from cayenne pepper to chicken wire. My dogs keep a pretty close watch on the front yard, so even though it's not fenced in, they were able to keep the lil' guys out.
If you don't have a dog, try growing lavender, thyme, or other perennial herbs on top of them. I accidentally learned this trick with a different bulb on my list, tulips, last year. Imagine my surprise when I came out to the species tulip bed (species tulips are also apparently less tasty to deer, but my deer disagree) to find that every single tulip was gone, except for the ones tucked into my herbs.
I also grow large Dutch crocus, varieties C. flavus Golden Yellow, C. vernus Flower Record, C. vernus Grand Maitre, C. vernus Jeanne d’Arc and C. vernus Pickwick from Van Engelen. These crocus bloom later than C. tommasinianus. They are also larger and even tastier to squirrels. For their protection, they have a special place in the backyard, where my dogs Annie and Rango can keep the squirrels in check.
Unlike snow crocus, the foliage of Dutch crocus is larger and stays around longer. By June the snow crocus has been gone for weeks, where the foliage of the dutch crocus is still vibrant and green. Consider planting these next to tall, warm-season grasses or other late-to-the-party perennials. You can use these plants to hide the foliage so it can die back naturally and peace.
PROS
Cold hardy
Look great with rock iris
Long-lived
CONS
Squirrel food
3. Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla
One of my favorite native spring ephemerals
Blooms in Late March or Early April
Full sun
HZ: 4-8
Height: 4"
Color: White, purple
The natural habitats of pasqueflower include cool northern prairies, open slopes, fescue grasslands, granite outcrops in forests, and dry, open woodlands. In my native forest, Pulsatilla nattalliana grows in open pine forests, grass prairies, meadows, and exposed rocky outcroppings. When conditions are just right, these flowers are dotted in every clearing where they can find a ray of sunshine.
It's a deeply tap-rooted perennial that hates being transplanted, so keep this in mind if you'd like to move it around your garden. Plan to plant it once or watch it languish. It appears silky or hairy when young, but as it grows the hairs are less prominent. I've seen it in various shades of purple to white.
According to the Alpine Garden Society, Pulsatilla vulgaris is the best variety to grow, being the easiest to cultivate under normal garden conditions. It likes full sun and is drought tolerant once established.
In the U.S., Pulsatilla nuttalliana grows from Idaho to Wisconsin and south to Utah, Colorado, and parts of New Mexico.
Pasques are hard to find, even from specialty online growers. I'm guessing it's because they are difficult to propagate and perhaps the demand isn't terribly strong. I have found P. vulgaris at High Country Gardens, which is a specialty nursery that I have had good experiences with.
The easiest way to propagate Pulsatilla is by seed. However, that doesn't mean that seed propagation is easy compared to other species. According to the Alpine Garden Society, you have the best chance of success with the freshest seed.
(As always when collecting seed, check with the proper institution or person before collecting on private, state, or federal land.)
Propagation by Seeds
Collect the seeds once they've dried on the plant, typically in late spring or early summer. The seeds look like a crazy hair-do and will blow away quickly once ripe. You can also purchase seeds from companies like Plant World seeds. I've tried to grow pasque seed from this distributor before and without luck, but perhaps you'll be better rewarded than I was.
Pasqueflower seeds have a short viability period, so it's best to sow them as soon as possible.
Sow the seeds in a seed tray filled with a well-drained seed compost. Lightly cover the seeds with compost or vermiculite.
Keep the seed tray in a cold frame or a greenhouse until the seedlings are large enough to handle.
Once the seedlings have grown large enough, transplant them into individual pots. Grow them on until they're large enough to be planted out in their permanent positions in the garden.
PROS
Native
Beautiful foliage
Fun seed heads
Long-lived
Unusual
CONS
Difficult to transplant
Difficult to propagate
Hard to find
Takes time to establish
4. Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa luciliae alba
Glory of the Snow is one of those understated bloomers that refuses to quit.
Full to partial sunlight
Blooms in April
HZ: 3-8
Height: 3" to 4"
This lil' charmer just works hard. Its bloom is small and can easily go unnoticed. But what it lacks in stature it makes up for in dependability. Unlike other spring bulbs, it just isn't fussy. I notice good and bad years in most plants, but this little friend just keeps showing up.
Like many bulbs, it's native to Turkey. That means it appreciates our wet springs and dry winters. And while it may not love our heavy soils, it certainly seems to tolerate them. Varieties come in white and purple. Try planting it in front of muscari or with native tulips.
PROS
Cold hardy
Easy to grow
Trouble free
Perennializes well
Foliage is quickly covered
CONS
Easy to overlook
5. Species Tulip, Tulipa spp.
A tulip that doesn't have to prove anything to anyone.
Full sun to partial shade
Blooms in April
HZ: 4-8.
Height: 4" to 6"
Color: Everything but blue
I love tulips. And because the dry gardens of the mountain west provide some of the best conditions for growing them, I so encourage you to toss out what you've heard about them being short-lived and add them to your garden.
Tulips are some of those plants where we dry, northern gardeners can really show off. They love our wet springs, brutally cold winters, and dry summers. (They grow wild in the mountains of Europe, Asia, and the Middle east.) And I do love the fringed foliage of the parrot tulip and the quiet elegance of the single tulip.
The parrot tulip on the left has been riot this year. The near-black foliage looks stunning next to the foliage of the 'Emperor 1' Japanese maple and the dappled white foliage of the 'Hakuro Nishiki' willow. This was there first year in the ground, but I'm hopeful they will continue to put on a show for years to come.
While the parrot tulips were new this year, the beauty on the right was presumably planted by the last owner of the house. Based on how long I've lived here, this specific plant is at least 7 years old. Perhaps it's so long-lived because the deer usually eat it before it blooms.
My mom has a single tulip that's been around for decades. We dry northern gardeners definitely don't need to treat them as annuals!
But the species tulips, shorter in stature and much earlier to bloom, have a quiet resilience in their erect petals.
While these tulips are likely to come back again and again, they are favored by deer. I had read that the species tulips were less of a delicacy, but as you can tell by the chewed foliage in the photo below, it didn't matter much.
PROS
Cold hardy
Easy to grow
Not often grown
CONS
Squirrel food
The foliage isn't very attractive
TIP: I did learn an unintentional trick this year. Do you see the thyme and lavender in the bottom left corner? The tulips planted among these plants survived the entire season untouched. If you have a perennial herb bed and deer, try planting these bright little friends alongside your smelliest plants.
6. Grecian Windflower, Anemone blanda
Perhaps my favorite spring ephemeral
Full to partial sunlight
Blooms in May
HZ: 5-9
Height: 4"
Color: White and purple
The Grecian windflower, Anemone blanda, is one of my favorite little perennials. It's in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Native to southeastern Europe, Turkey, and Lebanon, this charming lil buddy thrives in well-drained, humus-rich soil and does well in full sun to partial shade. In my garden it seems to want some protection and prefers to be on the ground, rather than in my raised rock garden beds.
The leaves of the Grecian windflower are similar to the pasqueflower and geranium, and I really like them. But the real show are the tons of little daisy-like flowers in shades of white, pink, or rich blue, with a ring of prominent stamens at their center. The flowers are set against a backdrop of dark green, deeply cut foliage. On cloudy or snowy days the blooms remain tightly closed, waiting for better weather to open.
It's a great choice for woodland gardens, where it can be allowed to naturalize under trees or shrubs, or for the front of a border where its low-growing habit can be appreciated. I think it looks great with muscari or the thick, bold foliage of allium karataviense.
Bulbs (technically tubers) can be soaked in water overnight before planting in the fall, at a depth of about 2 inches. The tubers can be somewhat irregularly shaped, but don't worry too much about which side is up when planting; they will find their way to the surface.
The Grecian windflower requires zero care once planted. Just let the foliage die back naturally and enjoy for years to come. Apparently A. blanda can spread and naturalize, although it has yet to do so in my garden.
PROS
Gorgeous foliage
One of the most beautiful blooms
Opens and closes with the sun
Plays well with other garden friends
CONS
One of the least cold-hardy plants on my list
Naturalizer warning: Like all plants that can "naturalize" an area, you can't always choose where they will grow and where they won't. I haven't seen Grecian windflower reseed in zone 5, but plant with care in woodland areas.
7. Hellebore Lenten rose, Helleborus x hybrid
An old-school plant that I wait for every winter
Sun to full shade
Blooms in May
HZ: 4-9 *varies within species
Height: 12"
Color: White, yellow, black, green, pink, and purple
Hellebores, winter roses, Lenten roses, or Christmas roses are a group of perennial plants belonging to the genus Helleborus, within the family Ranunculaceae. They are native to Europe, from western Great Britain, Spain and Portugal, eastward across the Mediterranean region and central Europe into Romania and Ukraine, and along the north coast of Turkey into the Caucasus.
Hellebores are the earliest shade-tolerant plant to bloom in my garden. I'm partial to the black and white varieties, but that's probably because they came from my grandmother's garden. I love their drooping, moody sepals and rich green foliage.
It's often cited that the foliage is evergreen. In warmer areas that may be true, but in Zone 5 a few tattered, sad looking leaves stay green while the rest die back. (If you're looking for an evergreen, shade tolerant groundcover that actually hangs around in winter, try Oregon grape or Mahonia aquifolium.)
Hellebores prefer a spot in partial shade, with shelter from strong, cold winds. They do best in a rich, well-draining soil. I don't give mine any supplemental water, although we do get a decent amount of rain during their growing period.
Why are hellebores so expensive?
Hellebores take a long time to mature, so garden centers have to put a lot of resources into their cultivation.
I propagate through division, but apparently they will self-sow around the garden. Sadly, mine have never done so. If I catch them at the right time, I might harvest seed this year.
TIP: When shopping for hellebores, take note of the hardiness zone. Some hellebores are hardy to zone 3 while others are only hardy to zone 8.
PROS
Shade tolerant
Moody and beautiful blooms
Attractive foliage
CONS
Expensive
Naturalizer warning: Like all plants that can "naturalize" an area, you can't always choose where they will grow and where they won't. I haven't seen hellebores reseed in zone 5 (I wish mine would). But gardeners in the South claim they are a problem, especially along rivers. Plant with care in woodland areas.
8. Daffodil, Narcissus
Daffodils are gorgeous, easy to grow, and aren't fussy.
Daffodils are so common but so delightful. I'm partial to the white and peach varieties, but I do have some yellow early flowering varieties.
If you do grow daffodils, I recommend buying as many as you can afford to create huge swaths of them. By themselves they are gorgeous, but in a group they are truly something special. They smell great, too. To get the best price, look for wholesale growers. Pay attention to the bloom time, as early varieties can bloom in early April while later varieties won't bloom until mid-May in zone 5.
One of the biggest appeals of daffodils, aside from their looks, is their hardiness and durability. Deer and rabbits leave them alone, they aren't fussy about soil (as long as it isn't wet), which makes them an excellent choice for many gardeners.
Daffodil care is relatively low-maintenance. After the daffodils have bloomed, don't cut off the leaves until they've yellowed and died back naturally, as they gather energy for the next year's blooms. Regular watering is usually not necessary unless there's a prolonged dry spell.
The biggest drawback of daffodils is figuring out how to hide the foliage in June, after the flowers are finished blooming. I've had moderate success by planting it with tall, native grasses like little bluestem.
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Naturalizer warning: Like all plants that can "naturalize" an area, you can't always choose where they will grow and where they won't. I haven't seen daffodils escape cultivation in zone 5. But some species are naturalizing in the South, California, and Australia. Plant with care in woodland areas.
9. Prairie Smoke, Geum trifolium
A delightful and unusual native perennial perfect for any gardener who appreciates a weirdo.
Sun to part sun
Blooms in May
HZ: 3-7
Height: 6-8"
Color: Pink
Prairie Smoke or Geum triflorum is a North American native perennial known for its distinctive and attractive seed heads. It is part of the rose family, Rosaceae. Also known as Old Man's Whiskers or Three-Flowered Avens, this plant is an awesome addition to native plant gardens, rock gardens, or any landscape that could benefit from a touch of strangeness. (Can't all of them?)
The common name, Prairie Smoke, derives from the appearance of the plant's seed heads, which are feathery and grayish-pink, giving the impression of plumes of smoke when viewed from a distance. I think they look like the hair from the troll dolls from the 90s. This unusual display happens after the plant's flowering period in late spring, when the small, nodding reddish-pink to purplish flowers give way to these distinctive seed heads.
Growing to about 6-8 inches tall, Geum triflorum forms a low mound of ferny, pinnately divided, softly hairy, and grayish-green leaves. It's an excellent plant for ground cover and provides a unique texture to the landscape.
As for growing conditions, Prairie Smoke prefers well-drained or rocky soils and does best in full sun to light shade. It is a hardy plant, resilient in the face of drought and cold temperatures.
Propagation of Geum triflorum is usually by seed, which should be sown in the fall. Mature plants can also be divided in the spring.
According to the Wisconsin Horticulture extension geum is seen less and less in its natural habitat, although I am so happy to report that this magnificent lil friend is growing strong in the Black Hills.
PROS
Native
Unusual
Hardy
CONS
May be difficult to source
Honorable Mentions
These plants didn't make my list, but they should have!
Shooting star, Dodecatheon
Grape hyacinth, Muscari armeniacum
Snow drop, Galanthus
Guinea hen flower, snake's head fritillary, Fritillaria meleagris
Hyacinths
Squill
Happy gardening!
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