Q&A: What Are the Best Bulbs to Grow Under Trees?
Are you looking for bulbs that will grow under the shade of trees? Find out here spring and fall-blooming options here.
Question: What are some bulbs that will grow and bloom in the shade under trees?
—DW, Lenox, PA
Answer: Many spring-flowering bulbs, particularly those from woodland habitats, thrive under mature trees. They flower and set seed quickly at the first signs of spring, before the tree canopy robs them of light and water. Then they die back and sleep until the next year.
Spring-flowering bulbs to grow under trees
- English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- Camas lily (Camassia leichtlinii)
- Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
- Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
Fall-flowering bulbs to grow under trees
Bulbs that flower in fall can also do well under trees. They flower, then produce leaves. By the time their foliage appears, the tree canopy has thinned, allowing light to hit the bulbs’ leaves so the bulbs can rebuild their energy stores. Fall-flowering bulbs to plant under trees include:
- Hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)
- Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
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