Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Rd ● Alexandria ● VA 22312 Phone: 703-642-5173 ● TTY: 703-803-3354 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/greenspring HARDY BULBS FOR ­ THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA ­ Bulbs are valued for their exquisite beauty and tough nature. Bulbs have underground storage organs that store energy for rapid growth when environmental conditions are favorable. These organs include true bulbs (such as tulips, daffodils, and lilies), as well as corms, tubers, tuberous roots, rhizomes, and enlarged hypocotyls. Most spring blooming and fall blooming bulbs are dormant much of the summer. In contrast, most summer blooming bulbs have foliage throughout the growing season. The following is a list of hardy bulbs that perform well in the Washington, D.C. area. Recommended cultivars are noted after the scientific name. Few bulbs on this information sheet are native: species that are native to Virginia are marked with an asterisk (*). The bloom months at Green Spring are given and depend upon the year – plants bloom sooner in warm winters. Most hardy bulbs like full sun (6 hours or more of sun daily) and tolerate dry sites. Bulbs suitable for light shade or part shade, especially if they get full sun until trees leaf out, are noted in the comments column. General information about the planting and care of hardy bulbs is at the bottom of this document. Winter and Spring Blooming Bulbs Scientific Name Common Name Comments Allium cristophii Ornamental Onion ‘Gladiator’, ‘Lucy Ball’, A. gigantea, & A. schubertii are harder to grow A. hollandicum (Late April & May bloom) (they often are shorter lived & ‘Purple Sensation’ need excellent drainage) The blooms of A. sphaerocephalon Note: A. moly ‘Jeannine’ is small & (Drumstick Onion) tend to decline subtle but long lived (May & June) within a few years (June bloom) & the foliage looks similar to wild garlic, an invasive Pest resistant Bletilla striata Chinese Ground Orchid Moist, rich sites in light to part & cultivars shade; usually have foliage the (April – June bloom) entire growing season Deer feed on foliage 1 ­ Camassia cusickii Camas Tolerate light shade; prefer moist soils & tolerate heavier soils than C. leichtlinii (‘Blue Danube’ & (late March – May bloom) most bulbs – tolerant of ‘Semiplena’) periodically wet sites Note: VA native C. scilloides* Pest resistant (Atlantic Camas) is harder to grow & seldom commercially available (rare in Virginia). Chionodoxa forbesii or Glory of the Snow Tolerate light shade & dry soil Scilla forbesii (botanists don’t agree on name but sold as Chionodoxa) (March & April bloom) Pest resistant C. luciliae or S. luciliae C. or S. ‘Pink Giant’ (commonly sold as C. forbesii ‘Pink Giant’ but possibly a hybrid) C. sardensis or S. sardensis Crocus: the longest lived species in Crocus Tolerate light shade & dry soil our area are: C. flavus (February – Early April Loved by rabbits, squirrels, voles, (‘Golden Yellow’) – earliest bloomer bloom) & deer so can be difficult to grow C. tommasinianus & cultivars well in some locations (seeds around so more likely to survive if many animals are around that like to eat them) C. vernus & cultivars Hyacinthus orientalis cultivars Hyacinth Fragrant; flowers can get smaller in the second season of bloom or (late February – April in the years that follow bloom) Pest resistant Ipheion uniflorum Star Flower Tolerates light shade ('Jessie' & ‘Rolf Fiedler’) (March & April bloom) Pest resistant Iris bucharica Bulbous Iris I. bucharica tolerates light shade & all listed selections tolerate dry I. Reticulata Group cultivars such (most bloom February - sites (need good drainage) as ‘Edward’, ‘Harmony’, & ‘J.S. Dijt’ April, but I. ‘Katherine (I. reticulata, I. histrioides, & other Hodgkins’ (I. winogradowii I. bucharica & sterile hybrids like species are the parents). x I. histrioides) can bloom ‘George’ are the most reliable ‘George’ is a sterile hybrid. in late January – performs bloomers over time well with excellent drainage) Pest resistant Muscari armeniacum Grape Hyacinth Tolerate light shade (‘Christmas Pearl’ & the light blue ‘Valerie Finnis’) – the (late February – April Pest resistant most reliable species bloom) 2 ­ Narcissus: ­ Daffodil ­ Most daffodils need full sun or they ­ Favorite divisions of ­ will not bloom well after the first ­ regular-sized daffodils with some ­ (bloom late January – May) ­ year. ­ good performers in the Washington, ­ D.C. area listed: Pest resistant ­ Division 1 – the earliest blooming daffodil is 'Rijnveld's Early Some cultivars bloom well in light ­ Sensation'; this division needs shade – ‘Bulley’, ‘Hillstar’, ­ excellent drainage. ‘Las Vegas’ is ‘Ice Follies’, ‘Sorbet’, & ­ most persistent in sites with good ‘Virginia Sunrise’ have performed ­ drainage & little irrigation in well at Green Spring in light shade. ­ summer Division 2 – many great performers Brent & Becky’s Bulbs (a mail ­ including ‘Accent’, order nursery in Virginia) says ­ ‘Fellows Favorite’, ‘Ice Follies’, Division 6 or cyclamineus ­ ‘Misty Glen’, ‘Saint Keverne’, & daffodils tend to be more tolerant ­ ‘White Plume’ of some shade & moisture as a ­ Division 3 – ‘Angel’, ‘Dreamlight’ group. ­ (fragrant), & ‘Jamestown’ Division 5 – ‘Thalia’ (often fragrant Division 13 (species & reputedly on a warm day) & ‘Stint’ wild forms) and its miniature ­ Division 6 – ‘Ara’, ‘February Gold’ forms are generally harder to ­ (one of the earliest to bloom), grow. For example, ­ ‘Rapture’, & ‘Surfside’ N. bulbocodium (hoop petticoat Division 7 – ‘Golden Echo’, daffodil) is in the Rock Garden at ‘Hillstar’, ‘Intrigue’, ‘O’ Bodkin’, Green Spring & survives by ‘Pipit’, & ‘Silver Smiles’ (fragrant) reseeding lightly. Its hybrid Division 9 – ‘Actaea’ is the ‘Golden Bells’ looks similar but is a standard tougher, more reliable plant. Division 11b (papillon – cup is split so looks different) – ‘Papillon Blanc’ Some cultivars in various ­ Division 13 (species & reputedly divisions die off in our area over wild forms) – they tend to require time even with good growing ­ better growing conditions than conditions: ­ cultivars (they need full sun, good ‘Avalon’ (fusarium wilt), ‘Audubon’, ­ drainage, & adequate moisture in ‘Canaliculatus’,‘Ice Wings’, ­ the spring to perform well). ‘Jack Snipe’, ‘Mount Hood’, & ­ N. pseudonarcissus is the easiest ‘Tracey’ are some examples. ­ to grow. Miniatures (not an official division of ­ the American Daffodil Society. ­ Brent and Becky’s Bulbs calls it ­ Division 14 – a Virginia mail order ­ nursery). Smaller blooms than the ­ larger cultivars in their original ­ division, as well as shorter in height ­ (about 6 inches). Some good ­ performers in the Washington, D.C. ­ area: ­ ‘Baby Moon’ (fragrant), ­ ‘Golden Bells’, ‘Hawera’, ‘Jumblie’, ­ ‘Little Gem’, ‘Minnow’ (fragrant; ­ favorite Division 8 cultivar), ­ ‘Segovia’, ‘Sun Disc‘ (fragrant), ­ ‘Tête-à-Tête’, & ‘Topolino’ ­ 3 ­ Nectaroscordum siculum Sicilian Honey Garlic Much showier than culinary garlic (Allium bulgaricum) – flowers aren’t similar (April –May bloom) Pest resistant Puschkinia scilloides Striped Squill Tolerates light shade & dry soil (var. libanotica) (March – May bloom) Pest resistant Scilla bifolia ‘Rosea’ Scilla Tolerate light shade & dry soil (pink-flowered; easier to grow than the blue-flowered species type but (late January – April bloom) Pest resistant can increase excessively over time in some locations) S. mischtschenkoana (‘Tubergeniana’) (the species can start blooming in late January) S. siberica (‘Spring Beauty’) Tulipa – various divisions Tulip Prefer well-drained soils that are dry in the summer (little or no (March – May bloom) irrigation). Species tulips are great Species tulips- wild, natural flowers in rock gardens due to their small mostly found in countries from Of the large-flowered size & the amended, elevated soil Crete & Turkey to central Asia tulips, Darwin hybrids are (improved drainage). (including Afghanistan) for species reported to be the listed here. Flowers smaller than longest lived. Many tulips are short-lived in our hybrids. Longer-lived ones here in climate – they prefer long, cool, well-drained to very well drained In my home garden with full moist spring weather & dry sites include: sun and where I seldom summers to perform best. T. clusiana, T. clusiana var. irrigate, Darwin hybrid chrysantha, ‘Cynthia’, & tulips & tulips in several Loved by rabbits, squirrels, voles, ‘Tubergen’s Gem’ divisions have survived for & deer. Can cover with plastic bird ‘Lady Jane’ several years & perform netting or with metal mesh to ‘Little Beauty’ (likes slopes & beautifully (no deer, protect, but animals often eat excellent drainage) rabbits, or voles). plants after they are uncovered T. saxatilis ‘Lilac Wonder’ (birds & snakes can get caught in plastic netting). Can use pea gravel as a mulch in rock gardens to keep animals away from the bulbs. HARDY BULBS WITH UNUSUAL PLANTING REQUIREMENTS Scientific Name Common Name Comments Anemone blanda Windflower Tolerates light shade. (‘Blue Shades’ & others) Best to plant bulbs when not dried Connoisseur plant - usually not (late Feburary – April out - have soaked them in water dense & can die out over time if too bloom) before planting with some success dry or shady (best when planted by early fall) Pest resistant 4 ­ Eranthis hyemalis Winter Aconite Tolerates light to part shade & dry soil (January – March bloom) Few often come up because best to plant when bulbs not dried out - have soaked them in water before planting with some success. Reseeds so eventually get nice