Those who enjoy a warm climate face a bit of a challenge when it comes to grow bulbs that bloom in the spring. And it is that some of the most famous bulbs to grow need a period of cold winter that allows “to send signals” so that they begin to emerge.
In colder climates, leaving the bulb in the ground is sufficient, but in warmer regions they often need lower temperatures and require our intervention.
However, there are very interesting bulb alternatives for growing in warm regions. Famous spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips can be grown in warm climates if prepared ahead of time and planting time is advanced.
This system is not complicated and we will only need a refrigerator like the one we have at home. If you remember from our article on seed stratification, it is a similar process where we simulate that the bulb or seed has been subjected to the winter cold, even if this is not the reality .
In this article we want to present you with a list of spring bulbs that do not need cold for their germination, so they are ideal for warm climates. In general, most spring-flowering bulbs are planted in fall and winter.
As a bonus, the warmer your climate zone, the later you should plant.
Contents
Spring bulbs that withstand hot climates
1. Gender Crinum
Genre Crinum belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae, presenting trumpet-shaped inflorescences and grouped in 4 or 5 flowers. These spring bulbs are available in shades of white, pink or a mixture of both.
This genus is planted showing the crown of the bulb above the ground. They require good moisture conditions and are resistant to hot spring and summer temperatures.
in the genre Crinum we found over 100 species, although only a small group are grown as ornamentals.
- Growth conditions: the bulbs are not completely buried and it is grown in full sun to light shade.
- Shades of colors: white, pink, red or two-tone.
- Soil type: good fertility and humidity conservation, do not let it dry out between waterings.
2. Allium (allium spp.)
Allium will not need any type of special cold treatment to grow in warm gardens. The good thing about this genus is that we find many varieties to choose from.
spring bulbs allium They are related to well-known vegetables like onion and garlic. In fact, this is what usually means that the aroma it gives off from its polyphenols repels insects.
Among the most famous spring bulbs of this genus are the ornamental garlic and the ornamental onion.
Allium flowers usually have spherical, umbel-shaped inflorescences on long, straight stems. Among all the cultivars we find a wide variety of colors and plant sizes to make the combinations we want in our garden.
Among the best-known cultivars is ‘Purple Sensation’, which is purple in color and Allium Cristophii (known as the Star of Persia), with very striking reddish and orange colors
- Growth conditions: tolerates a wide range of temperatures, grown in full sun
- Floral shades: purple, blue and white.
- Soil type: good drainage, dry between waterings.
3. Type of bulbs glorious
The glorious lily (superb glorious) is a perennial type bulb adapted to warm climates. He has the ability to climb on other plants, raising his reddish inflorescences above the foliage.
This is why this spring bulb is also known as a climbing lily. In addition to the garden, it can also be grown in a pot.
Although most of the bulbs we feature are usually grown in full sun, Gloriosa can also be grown in slightly more shady areas. Its flowering takes place at the beginning of summer (July and August), and it can be brought forward if we grow the bulb indoors and transplant it later.
- Growth conditions: optimum temperature of 25 ºC, grown in full shade only or partial.
- Floral shades: bright red.
- Soil type: fertile (rich in organic matter), good drainage and average humidity.
4. Tulips
Tulips are another of the famous spring bulbs that need pre-chilling to grow as perennials in hot climates. Also, they need cool spring temperatures, so if your garden is very hot, you need to watch early flowering varieties.
To save spring bulbs, dig them up after the leaves have dried, usually before the start of summer. Keep the bulbs in a dry place and replant them in mid-October.
From now on, if the chosen variety needs cold, keep it in a very dry container and in the refrigerator for about 3 months.
In a warm garden, the optimal date for planting tulips is late winter.
- Growth conditions: Grown in full sun or partial shade, they tolerate cold well and do not tolerate very humid environments.
- Floral shades: almost any color.
- Planting date: January or February.
- the type of soil: good drainage, average fertility and slight moisture retention at all times.
5.Clivia (Clivia miniata)
The Clivia lily is another spring bulb belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae. Usually grown as a houseplant, it has clusters of brightly hued, tubular flowers on stiff, upright stems.
It is easy to grow in warm climates, flowering in winter until early spring, as its flowers are long lasting. As a handicap, Clivia can take up to 3 years before emitting the first flowers.
- Growth conditions: Very hardy and easy to grow plant for novice hobbyists. It requires good lighting, but never direct sunlight.
- Floral shades: yellow, orange, red.
- Soil type: good drainage and average humidity (average watering once a week as it suffers from overwatering).
6. Common daffodil (narcissus tazetta)
Although there are many varieties of daffodils, the species narcissus tazetta It is slightly smaller. In addition, this variety of spring bulbs adapts very well to hot climates.
It is usually grown both in the garden and in pots, blooms in late winter and lasts until early spring. These bulbs are easy to propagate and tend to grow in dry environments.
Daffodils can also be grown in pots.
- Growth conditions: It generally tolerates low temperatures, but prefers mild or warm climates. Grows in well-lit spaces
- Floral shades: yellow, gold, white, two-tone
- Planting: in early autumn in the northern hemisphere, with a separation between the bulbs of 10 cm.
- Soil type: average humidity, well-drained soil, constant watering.
7. Snowdrops (Leucojum vernum)
Leucojum vernum It is a perennial bulbous plant that can reach 60 cm in height. It is a spring bulb that gives off a fragrance similar to that of the violet plant. It offers flowering in white tones and good resistance to spring and summer heat.
If we are looking for a variety that blooms in summer, we can choose the bulbs of the variety Leucojum aestivumas the one mentioned at this point requires somewhat cooler conditions.
As a care tip, it prefers moist soil and is grown in full sun to partial shade. It is well adapted to the Mediterranean environment, especially in coastal areas with higher humidity.
- Growth conditions: humid Mediterranean conditions with mild temperatures. It grows in full sun or partial shade.
- Floral shades: White
- Soil type: moist conditions and good drainage.
8. Spider lily (Hymenocallis caroliniana)
Spider lilies resemble spider daffodils, with a trumpet surrounded by 6 narrow spider-like petals, but nothing like the red spider lily (Lycoris radiata), which blooms in the fall. This type of bulb is also planted without burying the head, which must be left uncovered.
Hymenocallis caroliniana prefers moist soil conditions, flowering in early spring or mid-summer in cooler regions.
- Growth conditions: tolerance to a wide range of temperatures, growing in full sun to partial shade.
- Tonalide of its flowers: White
- Soil type: moist conditions with frequent watering, loose soil and good drainage.
9. Cornet lily (genus watsonia)
Genre watsonia offers more than 50 species of bulbs of South African origin. The best-known ornamental species are Watsonia borbonica Yes Watsonia meriana.
watsonia It includes easy-to-grow, low-maintenance spring bulbs. Its culture is similar to that of gladioli, storing the bulbs in winter to replant them in spring.
Outdoor cultivation requires warm climatic conditions. In this way, it can behave like a perennial and offer magnificent flowering in shades of red, pink, orange or even white. Its flowering is late, but it offers a great ornamental spectacle in winter that lasts until early spring.
- Growth conditions: hardy plant that adapts very well to all types of environments, preferring dry and warm places, grown in full sun.
- Tones of its flowering: pink and orange.
- the type of soil: grown with low humidity, less watering and leaving the soil dry.