Learn which flowering bulbs come back each year, which don’t, and how to care for perennial varieties after blooming to give them the best chance of flowering again.
If you’re new to this, see How to Plant Flower Bulbs for more growing tips.
What to Expect from Flowering Bulbs
Spring-flowering bulbs can be unpredictable. Some bloom beautifully year after year, while others fade out quickly or never return.
While it would be great to have a chart showing exactly how many years each bulb variety will flower in your garden, there are thousands of different types and too many variables to make such predictions reliable.
In general, straight species and simple hybrids tend to be perennial, while fancy hybrids often behave like annuals—offering one beautiful display, and then they’re done.
Definitions
- Straight species: A plant in its original, natural form, not altered by breeding or selection.
- Hybrids: Plants produced by crossing two different species or varieties to combine desired traits.
- Perennials: Plants that live for more than two years, often blooming each year once established.
- Annuals: Plants that complete their life cycle—from seed to flower to seed—within one growing season.
- Naturalize: When a plant grows back on its own each year and spreads over time, becoming part of the local landscape without needing replanting.
- Invasive: A non-native plant that spreads aggressively to the detriment of local ecosystems
But how do we even know which type we have? If you have any details about where you purchased your bulbs, check there first. You could also try a reverse image search using Google Lens, but many of these flowers look very similar and are hard to identify accurately.
If you know nothing about your flowering bulbs, it’s probably best to assume they’re annual and consider any future blooms a bonus.
If you don’t want to risk a poor showing the next year, remove the bulbs after their first flowering season and plant something else in their place.
If you don’t mind surprises, leave them and see what happens.
Rebloomers
Some of the most reliable perennial bulbs for reblooming include:
- Allium
- Crocus
- Daffodils – species and some simple hybrids
- Hyacinth
- Tulip – species and Darwin hybrids (a simple hybrid)
In contrast, fancy hybrid tulips and daffodils—those bred for unusual colors or shapes or dense, fluffy flowers—often behave like annuals in the garden. They are bred for their unique appearance, put on one good spring show, and that’s it.
Other bulbs, like snowdrops, English bluebells, and winter aconite (which are rhizomes, not bulbs), are known to naturalize (spread), and will flower again each year.
Naturalizing sounds good until you realize that some, like Siberian squill—which is still readily sold—are invasive in parts of North America, and spread aggressively, outcompeting native or other desired plants.
What should I do with my flowering bulbs after blooming?
If the bulbs are perennial and expected to bloom again next year:
- Snip off spent flowers (optional but helpful so energy is directed to bulbs and not seed production).
- Leave the foliage in place letting it die back naturally. This allows the plant to photosynthesize and store energy in the bulb for next year’s flowers. Years ago, some gardeners bundled up the leaves with elastic bands to tidy them. But this actually reduces the surface area available for energy production so it is not recommended.
If the bulbs are annual (one-time bloomers), you can dig them up and compost them once flowering ends. Or just leave them to decompose in the ground.
Can I dig up and store spring flowering bulbs until fall?
You can—but it’s not necessary and may even harm the bulbs.
Bulbs are better off left in the soil where they are less likely to dry out.
If they’re in containers, monitor soil moisture to avoid both rot and drought. I like to use a simple moisture meter for this.
Is it ok to plant spring flowering bulbs in summer or should I wait until fall?
Yes, you can plant spring-flowering bulbs in summer. There’s no need to wait until fall and better to plant them early than late, allowing time for roots and stems to form underground.
The bulbs will chill (literally) during the winter—which helps trigger spring flowering.
How often should I fertilize my flowering bulbs?
You don’t need to fertilize flowering bulbs. Healthy bulbs have everything they need stored inside and replenish through photosynthesis (via their leaves) each year.
Can I transplant flowering bulbs?
Yes. The best time to transplant is after the leaves have fully died back.
Breaking this rule, I also like to start bulbs in pots (to avoid animals getting them) and transplant them to the garden during bloom time. So long as you handle with care, it works out just fine.
How can I keep my bulbs safe from animals?
There are no foolproof methods, but a few strategies can help:
- Choose resistant bulbs. Wildlife tends to leave certain bulbs alone. In my garden, squirrels ignore daffodils completely while tulips are a delicacy. Check with your local bulb seller to see what they recommend.
- Use wire mesh. Covering newly planted areas with hardware cloth or squirrel screens helps deter digging until the ground freezes.
- Grow in containers. Keeping bulbs in containers lets you move them to a protected spot, like a garage, or cover them with mesh cloches over winter.
If you have any more bulb questions, leave them in the Comments below.
Resources
More Bulb Tips
- How to Force Flower Bulbs Indoors Any Time of Year
- How to Naturalize Bulbs in Lawn For a Sea of Flowers
- Fall Blooming Bulbs
- How to Plant Flower Bulbs
- Why Are My Bulbs Not Flowering?
Are store-bought bulbs organically grown?
It’s unlikely. If you want flowering bulbs free of systemic pesticide and fungicide residue, find an organic grower. Most of the world’s bulbs are not organic.
Eco-Beneficial Gardening Books
I recommend these books because they get gardeners excited about ecological gardening and the incredible relationships between plants and animals. Our future is in our hands!
1 The Pollinator Victory Garden | Kim Eierman | Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening; Attract and Support Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, Bats, and Other Pollinators
2 A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat for Native Pollinators: Ontario and Great Lakes Edition | Lorraine Johnson, Sheila Colla | All the information gardeners need to take action to support and protect pollinators, by creating habitat in yards and community spaces, on balconies and boulevards, everywhere!
3 The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region | Rick Gray and Shaun Booth | Distills all the information essential for growing 150 species of garden-worthy native plants into a single, at-a-glance guide.
4 Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants | Doug Tallamy
5 Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, & Other Animals that Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving | Frederique Lavoipierre
6 The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife (How to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Garden that Promotes Native Wildlife, Plants, and Biodiversity) | Nancy Lawson
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛