Bulbs the Best of Plants, the Worst of Plants

by Lydia Holley September 23, 2024

I adore plants that grow from bulbs, even if they are technically from a bulb, a tuber, or a rhizome. They are generally low-maintenance and long-lived. I fell in love with these plants after seeing my great-grandmother’s daffodils bloom and multiply year after year. In fact, her daffodils and other bulb plants are still going strong forty-plus years after her death.

Some of my favorite bulbs bloom in fall. Spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) shoot up from the ground and are a piece of art designed to attract bees. Oxblood lilies (Rhodophiala bifida) are a darker red, but are just as exciting to see.

My great-grandmother still has a few naked ladies (Nerine Bowdenii) popping up after all this time. And I am always delighted to see rain lilies, whether they are the white (Zephyranthes candida), the pink (Zephyranthes grandiflora) or the miniature copper-colored ones (Habranthus tubispathus va. texensis).

Of course, bulb plants also bloom in summer, such as the white Texas spider lily (Hymenocallis liriosme). ‘Casa Blanca’ is one of my favorite oriental lilies. Tiger lilies are exciting to see opening in summer. So, too, is the tall Formosa lily. Of course, while not a true lily, daylilies are popular because they are so reliable.

Bulbs are most predominant in spring, and now is a good time to order spring-flowering bulbs before suppliers run out. Daffodils, muscari, leucojum, irises, and hardy amaryllis should return year after year. Other bulbs may not be as reliable, but are still fun to grow. Consider adding tulips, hyacinth, allium, crocus, a mix of scilla, or various fritillaria to your garden.

If you feel left out because you have mostly shade, purple shamrock (Oxalis triangularis) can be grown from bulbs and mine have returned for several years.

If bulbs are so long-lived and reliable, why are they the worst of plants? I have always heard your biggest asset is also your biggest liability. That is true of these plants, too. The qualities that makes bulb plants so loved also make them so hated. Weeds which sprout from bulbs such as false garlic in the spring or dayflower (Commelina) in the summer are almost impossible to eradicate from your landscape unless the bulb is dug and removed. Of course, some welcome dayflower into their gardens because of its beautiful blue coloring. I hate the way its stems flop upon the ground in long tangles after it has bloomed. It also multiplies much too quickly for me.

If you have trouble with a weed returning no matter how many times you have yanked it out of your garden, you may be dealing with a bulb (tuber, rhizome, etc). Sometimes the only way to get rid of it is to dig it out. And hope it does not multiply faster than you can dig.

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