And just to be clear, I’m using the word “bulbs” in the collective term and have included a variety of plants that grow from underground storage organs, such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers.
Now let’s get into our list of 27 fantastic, no-chill bulbs! Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up:
1. Amaryllis
Often forced to bloom indoors in winter, amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) grow from large bulbs and are prized for their jumbo, trumpet-shaped blooms in rich shades of burgundy, orange, peach, pink, scarlet, and white.
Grown outdoors in frost-free climates, these tropical gems flower in early spring for three to four weeks, adding a spectacular presence to mixed beds, borders, planters, and islands.
Amaryllis grow up to 36 inches tall and are winter hardy in Zones 9 to 12.
You can find a good selection of beautiful amaryllis bulbs at Burpee, like this gorgeous apricot-pink bicolored cultivar, ‘Rosalie.’
Amaryllis ‘Rosalie’
You can find ‘Rosalie’ available at Burpee.
And our guide to growing amaryllis has more information.
2. Anemone
The species known as poppy anemones, Anemone coronaria, produce large, poppy-like blooms with a lush, velvety texture in single or double flowers on stems adorned with delicate, lacy foliage.
Growing from corms, the blue, purple, red, or white flowers bloom in early summer for a period of about four weeks, adding their vivid charm to beds, borders, containers, and wildflower meadows.
They are particularly impressive in mass plantings. Plants grow eight to 16 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
‘Darkest Blue’ is a delightful cultivar that has luxurious, layered petals of deep indigo with a hint of royal purple.
Anemone ‘Darkest Blue’
Bulbs in packs of 10 or 25 are available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn more about growing anemones here.
3. Begonia
Sensational tropical plants, tuberous begonias (Begonia × tuberhybrida) are prized for the handsome and colorful foliage and the ornate single, double, or ruffled flowers in vivid shades of apricot, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow.
With an upright or cascading habit, they have an exceptionally long flowering time and bloom nonstop from early summer until frost, making a reliable and showy addition to perennial beds, containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes in shady sites.
Upright varieties grow as much as 18 inches tall while the trailers can reach 24 inches long. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
Roseform Mix features a multitude of richly-hued tuberous begonias in a variety of colors.
Roseform Mix Tuberous Begonias
You can find packets of 5, 10, and 25 tubers available at Eden Brothers.
Check out our guide to growing tuberous begonias to learn more.
4. Bugle Lily
Bugle lilies (Watsonia meriana) are cold-tender perennials that grow from corms.
They make a superb choice for adding tall spikes of richly colored, tubular flowers in beds, borders, and planters from mid to late summer.
With upright, strappy foliage, the tall scapes produce dense inflorescences with delicate, starry flowers in shades of coral, orange, scarlet, white, and yellow that bloom for several weeks.
Plants can reach up to 36 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
5. Butterfly Ginger
How to Plant and Grow Ginger in Your Home GardenA rhizomatous cousin of ginger root, butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium) has tall racemes of sweetly scented flowers in shades of orange, peach, white, or yellow that flower from late summer to frost.
The delicate flowers rise above large, sword-shaped leaves and only bloom for a single day but are continuously replaced by new ones.
A striking choice for the late season garden in mixed beds and cutting gardens, plants grow 36 to 60 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 8 to 10.
6. Caladium
Even though the white to pink spathes of caladium (Caladium spp.) flowers sometimes appear, I’ve included these warm weather bulbs for their outstandingly colorful foliage.
The large, heart-shaped leaves have striking color combinations in shades of green, pink, red, and white and make a sumptuous addition to borders and containers or as an underplanting beneath trees and shrubs.
Fancy Mix Caladiums
Plants grow 12 to 36 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 8 to 12.
You can find Fancy Leaf Mix caladium bulbs in packets of five, 10, and 25 available at Eden Brothers.
Learn more about growing caladiums here.
7. Calla Lily
Calla lilies (Zantedeschia) feature attractive, sword-like foliage that’s often adorned with cream freckles, and large, elegant flowers in vibrant hues of apricot, almost black, burgundy, mauve, orange, pink, rose, scarlet, white, and yellow.
They have a long flowering time of six to 12 weeks in summer and make an impressive statement in beds, borders, foundations, or islands – and are good for cutting as well.
Calla Lilies
Callas grow 24 to 40 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 8 to 10.
You can find a mix of different colored calla lily bulbs in packets of five, 10, and 25, available at Eden Brothers.
Be sure to read our guide to growing calla lilies next!
8. Canna
Cannas (Canna spp.) are lush heat lovers that produce large, frilly flowers in bold, saturated shades of orange, pink, red, white, and yellow.
The large, glossy leaves are equally showy in colors of burgundy, lime green, and emerald green and some varieties have sensational variegated stripes.
They have a long flowering time from early summer to fall and are tolerant of moist soils, making them well-suited for adding showy color around ponds or in rain gardens as well as mixed beds and containers.
Canna Lilies
Canna lilies grow from 24 to 96 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 9 to 10.
You can find a mix of different colors in packets of five, 10, and 25, available from Eden Brothers.
Our canna lily growing guide has more information.
9. Crinum Lily
Showy and fragrant, crinum lilies (Crinum asiaticum), also known as spider lilies, have tall scapes topped with delicate, trumpet-shaped or spidery flowers in pretty tones of mauve, pink, red, rose, and white with attractive, lance-like foliage.
At maturity, the bulbs can weigh as much as 20 pounds and don’t like to be moved, so choose a permanent location where they can remain undisturbed.
Crinums flower in spring and summer, and while individual blooms last for only one day, the large racemes have many buds that flower for weeks.
Crinium Liliy
Tough and resilient, crinums grow 24 to 60 inches tall and are sensational in mixed beds, borders, foundations, or islands in Zones 8b to 11.
Potted bulbs that produce purple flowers are available at Walmart.
10. Crocosmia
Crocosmia (Crocosmia syn. Montbretia) are subtly scented, summer-flowering bulbs with narrow, sword-like foliage, wiry, arching scapes, and pretty, tubular flowers in fiery tones of orange, red, scarlet, and yellow.
The buds open singly from the bottom of the raceme to the top and flower for five to eight weeks from midsummer to fall.
Plants grow 24 to 48 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 6 to 9, although the popular cultivar ‘Lucifer’ is good to Zone 5.
‘Abundant Joy’
‘Abundant Joy’ blazes with flame orange flowers atop 24-inch spikes.
You can find packets of three bulbs available at Burpee.
Check out our guide to growing crocosmia to learn more.
11. Dahlia
With a fantastically long flowering season, dahlias (Dahlia spp.) are the sweetheart of the late season garden, blooming abundantly from midsummer through to mid-autumn.
These tuberous, tender perennials come in a wide range of sizes from dwarf to tree forms, and have a remarkable range of flower types from dinnerplate to cactus.
With an equally impressive range of colors that includes most shades except true blue and black, dahlias are hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
It’s hard to choose from the dazzling array of dahlias available, but I’m particularly partial to this Vintage Violet Mix, a mix of different bulbs all in shades of violet.
Vintage Violet Mix Dahlias
You can find Vintage Violet Mix available in packets of five or 10 bulbs at Eden Brothers.
Our guide to growing dahlias has more information.
12. Elephant Ear
Elephant ear or taro root, (Colocasia spp.) is another selection grown primarily for the fantastic, extra-large foliage, although flowers with yellowy green spathes make an occasional appearance.
Long stalks hold the bright green and heavily veined arrow- or heart-shaped leaves upright on plants that grow 36 to 60 inches tall.
They do best in soil that has medium to wet moisture levels and make an excellent choice for creek banks, pond margins, and rain gardens in Zones 8 to 11.
‘Diamond Head’ Elephant Ear
One of my favorites is ‘Diamond Head’ which provides a dramatic accent with its huge obsidian leaves.
You can find packets of one, three, and five ‘Diamond Head’ bulbs available at Eden Brothers.
13. Fairy Wand
A native wildflower with a whimsical touch, fairy wand or false unicorn (Chamaelirium luteum), has wiry stems adorned with elongated, narrow white flowerheads that add a touch of magic to shade gardens.
Blooming in mid to late spring, the lance-shaped foliage forms handsome, clumping rosettes that thrive in moist settings like creek or pond margins, wet meadows, and rain or woodland gardens. Plants grow 24 to 48 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Sourcing fairy wand rhizomes can be a little challenging, but they can be found at specialty stores that carry wildflower stock.
14. Freesia
A mainstay in floral sprays, freesias (Freesia spp.) have an intoxicating scent, long vase life, and a sumptuous array of rich colors that include apricot, mauve, orange, pink, purple, scarlet, white, and yellow.
The trumpet-like single or double flowers open on graceful, arching stems, holding the showy flowers aloft for better viewing of their long flowering time, spanning 10 to 12 weeks in spring or summer, depending on when the bulbs were planted.
Freesia grows up to 14 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 9 and 10 – outside of their hardiness range, lift and store corms in winter to replant in spring.
Double Mix Freesia
Double Mix is a mix of double-flowered corms in a variety of vibrant colors.
You can find Double Mix in packets of 20, 40, and 100 bulbs available at Eden Brothers.
Want more information? Read our guide to growing freesias here.
15. Gladiolus
Gladiolus (Gladiolus spp.) are appreciated for their lance-like foliage and long flower spikes of large, orchid-like blooms in luscious shades of apricot, burgundy, mauve, orange, pink, purple, rose, white, and yellow.
A favorite for the cottage and cutting garden, gladioli are also stunning in mixed flower beds, borders, and containers, adding their bright blooms for several weeks in mid to late summer.
Gladiolus Flowers
Glads grow from 24 to 60 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 7 to 10. Lift and store the bulbs for winter outside of their hardiness range.
You can pick up packets of 20, 40, or 100 mixed bulbs in a variety of colors at Eden Brothers.
You can find our guide to growing gladiolus here.
16. Gloriosa Lily
A unique, summer-flowering plant, the gloriosa lily, or flame lily (Gloriosa superba), features an abundance of Turk’s cap-like red and yellow flowers with fantastic, swept back petals that resemble searing flames.
These tuberous plants – that are not true lilies – climb like a vine and reach up to 96 inches tall, adding superb vertical interest and color when trained against a fence, trellis, or wall.
Plants are generally suitable for cultivation in Zones 10 and 11 and need to be lifted for winter storage outside of this range, though some cultivars are hardy to Zone 8.
Gloriosa Lily
‘Rothschildiana’ is hardy to Zone 8 and features dramatic red blooms edged in yellow.
You can find tubers available at Nature Hills Nursery.
17. Harlequin Flower
Cheerful harlequin flowers (Sparaxis tricolor) grow from corms and produce brightly colored, star-shaped flowers that bloom for up to eight weeks in late spring.
Blooms come in a rainbow of shades, with bicolored petals of burgundy, gold, mahogany, maroon, mauve, pink, red, white, and yellow surrounding a bright yellow disc center.
These petite plants grow six to 12 inches tall, providing a bright splash of color to beds, borders, containers, and Mediterranean or rock gardens.
And they make excellent cut flowers as well. Hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
18. Lily of the Nile
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) is low maintenance and drought tolerant, adding magnificent clusters of slender, trumpet-like flowers to the late garden.
Flowering for several weeks in spring in mid to late summer and early fall, the allium-like flowerheads of blue, purple, or white bloom on sturdy stems that grow 12 to 48 inches tall.
Blue Lily of the Nile
Growing from rhizomatous roots, they make a striking presence as a specimen in mixed beds and containers or massed for an impressive show in naturalized and waterwise gardens. Hardy in Zones 6 to 10.
Blue-flowering rhizomes are available at Fast Growing Trees.
Need growing tips? Check out our guide to growing agapanthus.
19. Mexican Shell Flower
Mexican shell flowers aka tiger flowers, Tigridia pavonia, make a big impact with their large, cup-shaped blooms, featuring three prominent petals and three small ones with tiger-like spots adorning the center.
Shining in bright shades of orange, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow, the individual flowers are short-lived but plants bloom for weeks from mid to late summer, producing multiple upright stems with several flowers on each.
Mexican Shell Flower
Growing 18 to 24 inches in height, shell flowers add a vivid, tropical touch to mixed beds, the front of borders, or containers and make an attractive cut flower as well. Hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
Packets of mixed bulbs can be found at Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn more about tiger flowers here.
20. Peacock Orchid
Peacock orchids, also known as fragrant gladiolus (Acidanthera bicolor syn. Gladiolus murielae), are prized for their erect stems bearing long flower heads with nodding funnels of starry-shaped and sweetly fragrant, pure white flowers with contrasting dark purple throats.
The pretty flowers open successively, providing weeks of perfumed blooms in late summer and early fall, rising from fans of strappy leaves with plants reaching up to 36 inches tall.
Peacock Orchid
An attractive choice for beds, containers, and islands or in cottage, cutting, and wildflower gardens. The bulbs are hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
Bulbs in packets of 20, 40, or 100 are available at Eden Brothers.
21. Pineapple Lily
Outstanding for bringing a touch of the tropics to the garden, pineapple lilies (Eucomis spp.) produce bold flower spikes loaded with tiny, star-shaped florets that bloom for several weeks in late summer to fall.
Flower colors are green, mauve, pink, purple, and white and the strappy foliage can be dark green or deep burgundy, depending on the cultivar.
Pineapple lilies make a knockout thriller in patio planters or massed into mixed borders and in Mediterranean, tropical, or cutting gardens.
Plants grow up to 20 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
‘Safari Adventure’ Pineapple Lily
‘Safari Adventure’ features rich hues of pink and purple flowers.
You can find ‘Safari Adventure’ bulbs available at Burpee.
22. Peruvian Daffodil
Highly showy, Peruvian daffodils (Hymenocallis festalis) have a sweet, citrusy fragrance and feature daffodil-like flowers of ivory, white, or yellow.
With chartreuse streaking in the corona and festooned with long, spidery petals, it gives them a lively appearance.
Flowering in mid to late summer, they grow 12 to 24 inches tall and make a charming addition to mixed beds, containers, and cutting gardens.
Thanks to their tolerance for moist soil, they do well beside bogs, creeks, or ponds as well. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
23. Portuguese Squill
Portuguese squill (Scilla peruviana) is a late spring bulb with large, globular flowerheads loaded with masses of small, star-shaped florets in striking lavender blue.
Flowers open over a period of three weeks or more and grow up to 20 inches tall.
Portuguese Squill
An attractive addition to bed, borders, containers, and in rockeries or naturalized settings, plants are hardy in Zones 8 to 10.
Packets of five bulbs can be found at Nature Hills Nursery.
24. Rain Lily
Rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida) are tropical bulbs, low growing charmers with crocus-like or star-shaped flowers in the palest blue, mauve, peach, pink, pure white, and butter and sunshine yellows, most often with a light green throat.
Tufts of mounding, strappy foliage of deep green envelop the flowers for a compelling, lush display, with bulbs flowering for weeks in late summer and into fall.
Rain Lilies
The petite plants grow up to 12 inches tall and are perfect for adding color to the front of borders, containers, rock, and naturalized gardens. Bulbs are hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
You can find packets of three, five, eight, or 10 mixed bulbs available at Walmart.
25. Ranunculus
With exquisite, rose-like blossoms comprised of layers of ultra-thin petals, ranunculus (Ranunculus spp.) adds tall, ruffled blooms in delightful shades of apricot, brick, burgundy, mauve, orange, peach, pale and rosy pinks, purple, saffron, scarlet, white, and lemon yellow.
A staple in florists’ bouquets, ranunculus flower for weeks in mid to late spring, adding vibrant color for beds, borders, planters, and are a must-have in cutting gardens.
Growing six to 24 inches tall, the corms are hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
Ranunculus ‘Purple Sensation’
As the name suggests, ‘Purple Sensation’ is absolutely sensational, with tight layers of deep burgundy petals.
You can find packets of 10 corms available at Burpee.
26. Spider Lily
Spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) flower on tall scapes that feature bright, carmine red tubular flowers with narrow, recurved petals and extremely long, sweeping stamens for an elegant, spidery display.
The strappy, gray-green leaves appear in mid-autumn then die back in spring with the scapes emerging after a period of summer dormancy.
Flowering lasts for up to four weeks from late summer into fall.
A vibrant addition when grouped into mixed beds, planters, and in cottage or cutting gardens. Bulbs are hardy in Zones 6 to 10.
You can find bulbs available at Nature Hills Nursery.
27. Tuberose
Tuberose (Agave amica syn. Polianthes tuberosa) have tall, strong scapes with highly fragrant, elongated flower heads, producing waxy, funnel-shaped blooms in cream, pale mauve, blush pink, rosy pink, white, and yellow.
Exceptional as cut flowers, these bloom in late summer to early fall.
Tuberose have clumping, grass-like, narrow leaves and make an excellent choice for planting near decks, patios, and walkways where their sweet and lightly spicy perfume can be enjoyed to the fullest. Bulbs are hardy in Zones 7 to 10.
‘The Pearl’ Tuberose
‘The Pearl’ is a cultivar that produces blush pink, fragrant blooms.
You can find ‘The Pearl’ bulbs available at Burpee.
Reliable Colorful Flowers
Flowering bulbs are an easy and reliable way to add beautiful color, form, and fragrance to the garden, from spring right through the growing season and into fall.
And if you live in areas with mild winters that don’t provide the chill time needed for many bulbs to set buds, you can still enjoy the allure and easy care they offer by choosing from the many varieties that don’t require chilling.
Then after planting, kick back, relax, and enjoy their showy, colorful performance!
How about you, do you have any favorite flowering bulbs we’ve missed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And for more information about growing flowers in your garden, add these articles to your reading list next:
