5 Bulb Flowers You Need In a Florida Garden

Who doesn’t love flowers that arrive from bulbs? They are easy, economical, and usually require very little care. In tropical zones, you don’t have to worry about digging them up to store for the winter, either – another plus! You can plant tons of bulbs so that you literally always have something in bloom. If you’re a personal that craves a yard that makes other people stop and say “wow”, bulb planting is precisely where it’s at. The flowers come up and bloom continuously, and as bulbs grow old and don’t flower as well as they once did, you can easily replace them with more. Here are five that we think are especially unique.

5 Bulb Flowers You Need In a Florida Garden

  • Calla Lily
  • Liatris
  • Amaryllis
  • Freesia
  • Hurricane Lily

 

Callas originate from Africa, and they adore moist places. The larger callas are great border plants for ponds and will grow even in shallow fish ponds. Smaller callas are perfect in borders and beds. In Florida, where frost or freeze is a rare event,  callas will stay green all winter. The Calla is carried in many a bride’s bouquet, known for its elegance, and is happy in full sun or light shade. Fully grown, plants grow 24 inches tall and there are varieties in white, yellow, or red available.

Liatris is gorgeous showy long stemmed flower that is often purple or sometimes white, with a furry look, commonly known as a “blazing star.” These are also known for being perfect for accent pieces in cut arrangements and bouquets and have a long bloom time. They generally start to bloom in late June and may stop in January in Florida, when they should be thinned out in order to produce thicker regrowth the following spring.

Amaryllis is a subtropical bulb that is also native so south Africa, so it does beautifully in Florida. It has a lily-like appearance and is orange with a stripe down the petal. And interesting fact about Amaryllis is that the bigger the bulb, the bigger the Amaryllis! Amaryllis doesn’t have flowers all year but it does have vibrant green foliage all year.

Freesia is also a native of Africa that does well in Florida, but because it blooms best when daytime temps are around seventy degrees, it will be a fall performer for sure. If you really want some variation, plant all eight varieties of the specieis, which come in single and double blooms, and colors such as white, blue, purple, pink, red, yellow and orange. Freesia is a favorite cut flower as well, and lasts for approximately a week after being cut.

Hurricane Lilies may also be known as a “red Spider Lily”, and this unusual plant is aptly named because it pops up in late August, during the hottest and wettest of Florida’s rainy season, or so-called “hurricane season.” This is a flower that can take a beating, and a terrific amount of rain, and not only survive, but thrive. Of interest, it has almost no foliage at all to protect it – it’s just a spidery red Lily that shoots up out of the ground in August and weathers the storms with you. It may not be the most beautiful flower you’ve even encounter, but it is certainly one of the most unique, and a true coastal Florida garden would be missing out to if you didn’t experience this fun flower.

Bulbs are fun because they’re easy and cheap, and if you really don’t like them, you can dig them up. In a garden of variety and beauty though, that’s unlikely to happen. It’s more likely you’ll keep adding to your collection of bulbs and your landscape will grow more colorful and diverse by the year. Happy gardening!

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