Spring flowers cheer us up at a time when we most need it, after a long, cold winter. These flowering shrubs, vines, and bulbs bloom sooner than lilacs (Syringa spp.) and peonies (Paeonia spp.), giving us the first signs of spring. Here are 16 of the most popular early bloomers that are especially prized for their ability to give us a jump on the growing season.
01 of 16
puss* Willow (Salix discolor)
puss* willow shrubs often display their fuzzy catkins while winter is still firmly entrenched. Often thought of as wild shrubs, you can also grow puss* willows in the landscape. You may not think of catkins as spring flowers, but these cheerful classic buds belong on any list of early-season favorites. These wetland plantsshould be planted in poorly draining soil, then watch out because they grow fast.
- USDA Growing Zones:2a-7a
- Color Varieties:White with yellow stamens
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs:Loamy, rich, poorly draining
02 of 16
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Daffodils with tall stems often bloom a bit later the miniature varieties. Many gardeners who favor yellow flowers love daffodils for their signature trumpet shapes. The flowers are hardy, but if they go "blind," or if your daffodils are not blooming, it could be that they need more sun or the bulb is nestled too far down into the soil and needs to be brought up slightly higher.
- USDA Growing Zones:4a-8a
- Color Varieties:Yellow, white, orange, red, pink
- Sun Exposure:Full sun, partial shade
- Soil Needs:Rich, moist but well-drained
- Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets if ingested
03 of 16
Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera)
Creeping phlox is a low-maintenance ground cover that bears small blossoms in dense clusters. Massed together on an inclined bank, creeping phlox plants make a powerful landscaping statement. It will need weekly watering because it's not the most drought-tolerant plant. Be sure to start pulling weeds as early as possible in the spring so the phlox can have as many nutrients as possible to keep its carpet-like bloom.
- USDA Growing Zones:5b-8a
- Color Varieties: Red, white, blue, pink, rose, lavender, purple, and variegated
- Sun Exposure:Full, partial
- Soil Needs:Loamy, well-drained
04 of 16
Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
Snowdrops are often only 3 inches tall. They have double white, droopy, bell-shaped blooms, but the inner tepals are shorter than the outer three tepals. Like other springtime bulb plants, their foliage dies back by summer. The "snow" in the name is apt because they are among the earliest bloomers in February or March. Snowdrops are sometimes spotted pushing up through a layer of snow. For the showiest results, plant groups of 25 bulbs in the fall, each bulb submerged 2 to 3 inches into the ground.
- USDA Growing Zones:3a-9b
- Color Varieties:White
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Needs:Well-drained soil rich in humus
- Toxicity: Toxic to humans if ingested
05 of 16
Crocus
Technically a "corm" (not a bulb), some crocus can bloom almost as early as snowdrops. Crocus appear in a variety of colors and sizes depending on the cultivar. There's virtually no care needed for crocus. They don't need much water other than rain and they multiply on their own. The biggest problem with crocus? Wildlife loves to devour the buds.
- USDA Growing Zones:3a-8a
- Color Varieties:Purple, blue, yellow, orange, pink, white
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part sun
- Soil Needs:Any well-draining soil
06 of 16
Adonis (Adonis amurensis)
This herbaceous maintenance-free perennial will compete with bulb plants such as snowdrops and crocus for earliest flower status in your yard. The flower is yellow and the leaves are fern-like, but the plant does go dormant in summer, so have some annuals ready to insert around it to cover the hole it leaves in your garden design. Adonis has superior blooms of one to two inches across when planted in full sun, grows in clumps, and becomes one-foot tall with a greater spread.
- USDA Growing Zones:3-7
- Color Varieties:Yellow
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Needs:Rich, moist, but well-drained soil
07 of 16
Forsythia
This fast-growing bush with yellow flowersis one of the most popular flowering shrubs. When those cheerful yellow spring flowers grace the arching branches of forsythia, it's proof that winter has retreated for the year. Forsythia is fairly independent when it comes to care. The biggest issue when growing forsythia is keeping shrubsprunedto maintain neatness, shape, and size, but many also like the look of its wild growth pattern.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5a-8a
- Color Varieties:Yellow
- Sun Exposure:Full sun, partial shade
- Soil Needs:Moist but well-draining
08 of 16
Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)
Flowering quinces are dense and thorny shrubs that are often wildly shaped. and pair well with forsythia. The low-maintenance shrub makes a great barrier or privacy hedge even though the blooms only last for a couple of weeks. Pruning after blooming will keep this shrub in shape.
- USDA Growing Zones:5b-8a
- Color Varieties:Red, orange, white, pink
- Sun Exposure:Full
- Soil Needs:Loamy
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09 of 16
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)
Witch hazel flowers at the very end of winter or the very beginning of spring. The shrub has bright yellow blooms that look spidery in shape. Plant this extremely low-maintenance shrub in the fall and look for flowers even when there's a blanket of snow on the ground. As with other early spring blooming shrubs, the most work you'll possibly need to do is to keep its shape by removing suckering shoots that sprout below the graft point which usually causes awkward spreading.
- USDA Growing Zones:4a-9b
- Color Varieties:Yellow
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs:Average, medium-moisture well-drained soil
10 of 16
Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
Magnolias are among the earliest flowering trees each year to produce their spring flowers. Star magnolia stays shorter(15 to 20 feet tall) than saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana; 20 to 25 feet in height) and their distinctive star-shaped flowers appear the earliest. Star magnolia has white flowers, unlike the saucer kind and Jane magnolia (Magnolia 'Jane'), both of which bloom in pink.
- USDA Growing Zones:4a-8a
- Color Varieties:White
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs:Well-draining soil
11 of 16
Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)
Lenten rose's height (18 to 24 inchestall) makes it more noticeable from a distance than the shorter spring flowers such as snowdrops. Despite its name, this plant is not a rose at all, but a hellebore. The large pink and green multicolored petals dangle down and they are curved in shape almost like buttercups. Encourage blooming with an application of fertilizer in the early spring.
- USDA Growing Zones:4a-9a
- Color Varieties:Purple, red, yellow, green, blue, lavender, or pink
- Sun Exposure:Partial or full shade
- Soil Needs:Moist, well-drained, loamy
- Toxicity: Low toxicity to humans and animals if ingested
12 of 16
Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Just as Lenten rose may bloom around the time of the Christian season of Lent, "Pasque flower" is so named because it blooms around Eastertime in some locales (Pasque being the Old French word for "Easter"). The perky purple flowers grow to only a foot high. This plant prefers cooler, drier climates, and higher elevations. Water one to three times weekly, deeply saturating the soil around the base, but make sure plants do not get wet feet.
- USDA Growing Zones:4-8
- Color Varieties:Bluish-purple, lavender, reddish-purple, dark violet, and white
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs:Sandyor humusy well-draining soil
- Toxicity: Highly toxic to humans if ingested
Continue to 13 of 16 below
13 of 16
Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)
This viny plant just barely makes thelist, because it is not a show-stopper, but it is a perennial vine that loves the sun. But winter jasmine deserves mention simply because it blossoms so early, bearing plentiful pale yellow flowers. This fuss-free plant is highly versatile; Let the plant grow naturally as a ground cover or provide a structure for the vine to climb on.
- USDA Growing Zones:6a-10a
- Color Varieties:Yellow
- Sun Exposure:Full sun, partial shade
- Soil Needs:Chalk, loamy, sandy, or clay, but well-draining
14 of 16
Creeping Myrtle (Vinca minor)
A ground-hugger like creeping phlox (but bigger), creeping myrtle (also known as vinca or periwinkle) is a vine plant, bearing larger leaves than phlox. Its blooms at the beginning of spring are simple and plentiful. This tough plant (sometimes invasive) is suitable for shade gardens and requires little care once established. The plant's trailing stems can reach 18 inches in length, spreading rapidly by creeping along the ground and becoming apretty flowering ground coverthat fills in large swaths of ground, especially where grass fails to grow.
- USDA Growing Zones:4a-9a
- Color Varieties:Blue, lavender, purple, white
- Sun Exposure:Full sun, partial shade
- Soil Needs:Loamy, sandy, clay
15 of 16
Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)
Another bulb that blooms early when there's still a blanket of snow on the ground is the dainty star-shaped glory-of-the-snow flower. At four to five inches tall, it is commonly a bit taller than snowdrops. The flower is effortless to grow, assertively spreading and naturalizing without any intervention. Plant bulbs in the fall. To keep the flower blooming year to year, water once in a while but only if you have a dry springtime.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3a–8a
- Color Varieties: Pink, violet, white
- Sun Exposure:Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
16 of 16
Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)
Like snowdrops and glory-of-the-snow, Siberian squill is another short bulb plant (four to eight-inches tall) that will naturalize and eventually carpet an area of the yard with blue star or bell-shaped blooms that sweetly droop in March and April. Plant these fuss-free, cold-hardy bulbs in the fall just about anywhere in any type of light. Though it's unnecessary, it won't hurt to feed them with a fertilizer formulated for bulbs just to give a quick boost during blooming season.
- USDA Growing Zones:2-8
- Color Varieties: Blue
- Sun Exposure:Full sun, partial shade
- Soil Needs: Average, well-drained
- Toxicity: Toxic to humans and animals
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18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall
