I need some suggestions for plants that bloom very early in spring. I prefer natives but thats not essential. Any bulbs that are reliable and easy that will give me some spring color? I tried daffs. but didn't have good luck. They really only bloomed one spring.
C
Ideas for early color
Golden Groundsel, Four Nerve Daisy, Verbena canadensis and Columbine are a few blooming in my yard now.
newtonsthirdlaw
my daffodils come back every year ... hummm
did you wait for their leaves to turn brown before you cut them?
Do you have Dutch and Bearded Irises?
I absolutely love the seeds of Spurred Snapdragon. They will reseed them self if you let them and they will be a good cover for the spent daffodils blooms.
What about Columbine?
Mine just started to bloom now .. again - it is a self reseed perennial
I have 4 nerve daisy but its sort of fussy about which bed it wants to grow in. I will look for the groundsel. I have grown daffs up north for many years as well as tulips and many other bulbs so yes I know about not cutting off the old leaves. I am getting a yellow columbine from Dennis but will look for more of those also.
Cheryl
My moss phlox and spring starflowers have been going for a while.
I could pot up some golden groundsel for you if you are interested. My really took off this year and I have little patches of yellow blooms all over my backyard.
I would love a start. Thanks Dennis.
Cheryl
My star of Bethlehem has not shown up this year but I see lots of them growing from what little I know of this it is not a wildflower but rather is listed as an escapee... Nice little flower..
My zone is different so this info may not help you but my early bloomers are redbud and dogwood trees, bridal wreath shrub, La Irises, flowering Quince, Oxalis, paper whites, snow bells, azaleas, forsythia.
This message was edited Mar 14, 2012 7:59 PM
Oh yeah, phlox for sure. Them europeans have bred it up in lots of different colors, not just the native red. Flowering quince isn't native but yeah, it pops early and always seems to be the first sign we've made it through the winter.
Prairie onion isn't real strong color but you can mass them together.
Texas star is very cheery. Started a few weeks ago, I guess would be later for you. The wildflower center has a bunch of mexican poppy blooming now, not sure how that would feel about being further north.
I've got a bunch of sages blooming now, but that seems early because of the weird weather. I don't think I'd count on them unless you have a sheltered or south-facing area. Some of the mallows would go early in that sort of site, too.
My sages are blooming too but I did not list them since we did not have a winter this year and they just never stopped blooming, really. Same with Cowpen Daisy, marigolds, begonias, vincas, lantanas, parthenia.
So being that I am a little further north than you I really didn't suggest anything but I will say My Aseo Clematis is blooming right now just as a guess that would mena about a month earlier for you
It's not a native, but the Scabiosa is an early spring bloomer in my yard. Dianthus is usually an early bloomer, as well, and a magnet for any Hummingbird Moth.
Carla
My blackfoot daisy was the last to stop blooming and the first to start; it also bloomed through last summer's heat with little extra water. Old fashion purple iris blooms early, I don't know what cultivar. It came out of my grandma's garden years ago. My scabiosa is blooming, too. There's a new book out called Heirloom Gardening in the South. It has a list of some of the best flowers for Texas including the best daffodils. Really cool book.
Cheryl, did you ask for some of the grape hyacinths Joy is willing to trade? They bloom early with nice color and fragrance.
I really try to find natives. I do like gh though.
C
I thought they were native...atleast the native kind : )