We all love to see bright colors in surrounding landscapes, and one low-maintenance way to ensure beautiful blooms year after year is to plant perennial bulbs. Many homeowners focus on bulbs that flower in the spring, but did you know that some summer-blooming bulbs are available for spring planting to produce gorgeous summer landscapes?
Plants That Produce Vibrant Landscape Interest
Burkholder’s landscape maintenance experts discuss plants that are good for spring planting and summer landscapes. These bulbs are planted in the spring in beds or borders, or in movable hanging baskets and containers. They come in different forms, including true bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers.
Four Types of Plant Bulbs
Bulbs are plants that complete their entire life cycle in their own underground storage structure. Bulbs may have several main kinds of storage structures, including true bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes.
True Bulbs
In true bulbs, the primary storage tissue are fleshy scales protected by a skin like covering called the tunic. Some examples of true bulb plants are lilies, tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.
Corms
In corms, a storage tissue mass is formed from the stem base. The corms roots are protected by thin tunics. Some examples of corms are gladiolus, freesias, crocuses, and caladiums.
Tubers
Tuberous plants store nutrients in the root, unlike other bulbs that store them in the enlarged stems. Some examples of tuberous root bulb plants are dahlias and begonias.
Rhizomes
Rhizomes are different than other bulbs, in that their storage structures grow horizontally in the ground near the surface of the soil. Sometimes these types of plants are considered invasive. Lilies of the valley are rhizome bulb plants.
4 Beautiful Bulb Plants for Summer Landscapes
Our experts recommend these as some of the best summer blooming bulbs that can be planted in the spring:
Asiatic Lily
This hardy easy-care lily is one of the earliest to bloom. Unscented flowers come in a wide range of colors and patterns. Pet owners should be careful as lilies are highly toxic to cats.
Canna Lily
Cannas are produced from rhizomes and are related to bananas and flowering ginger. The bold foliage of this plant with striking patterns and colors lends a tropical feel to summer landscapes. Flowers can have hues of red, pink, coral, white, yellow, and orange. Rhizomes can be left in the ground in warmer areas closer to a house.
Crocosmia
This iris relative (also known as montbretia) produces strappy foliage and stately flower spikes in sunset hues of red, orange, yellow, and coral. The small rounded corms can be left in the ground in warmer climates or dug up and stored during winter months. Crocosmia plants love full sun and need good drainage.
Dahlia
This flower, a native of Mexico is one of the most beloved summer flowers. Dahlias come in an endless array of flower colors, forms, and sizes—from 2-inch pompons to giant 10-inch dinnerplates. Plant size can range from dwarf border types to taller forms. The tubers can be left in the ground in warmer climates or dug up and stored for the winter. Dahlia plants need good drainage and moderate water.