20 bulbs to plant in fall

Plant spring bulbs in fall, once the soil cools and about six weeks before the ground freezes. Most need a cold winter in the ground to bloom. Set each bulb two to three times as deep as it is tall, pointed end up. Pick a spot with full sun and soil that drains. Here are the 20 bulbs I plant in fall, from the first snowdrops to the last alliums.

1. Tulip

Tulip (Tulipa spp.) is the bulb most people think of first. Plant tulips 6 to 8 inches deep in full sun. Wait until the soil drops below 60°F (16°C). Squirrels dig them up, so I cover new plantings with wire mesh. Many hybrids bloom best in the first year or two. Species tulips come back longer. Read my guide on when to plant tulip bulbs and browse these tulip varieties.

2. Daffodil

Daffodil (Narcissus spp.) is the bulb to plant if deer or voles eat everything else. The bulbs are toxic, so animals leave them alone. Plant them 6 inches deep in sun or light shade. They come back and multiply for years. Yellow is classic, but there are white daffodils and pink daffodils too.

3. Crocus

Crocus (Crocus spp.) opens in late winter, often through the last snow. The small corms go 3 to 4 inches deep. Plant them in groups of 10 or more for a real patch of color. They do well in lawns, as long as you wait to mow until the leaves yellow. Bees visit them on the first warm days.

4. Hyacinth

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) has the strongest scent of any spring bulb. Plant it 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart in sun or part shade. Wear gloves when you handle the bulbs. They can irritate skin. Plant a few near a door or path so you catch the fragrance in April.

5. Muscari

Muscari (Muscari armeniacum), or grape hyacinth, makes small blue spikes in mid spring. Plant the bulbs 3 inches deep and 3 inches apart. They spread on their own. Grape hyacinths send up leaves in fall, which marks the spot so you don’t dig into them. I plant them in front of tulips and daffodils.

6. Lily

Lily (Lilium spp.) blooms in summer, long after the spring bulbs are done. Lily bulbs never go fully dormant, so plant them as soon as they arrive. Set them 6 to 8 inches deep in soil that drains. They like sun on their flowers and shade on their roots. My guide on how to grow lilies covers the main types.

7. Scilla

Scilla (Scilla siberica), or Siberian squill, has nodding blue flowers in early spring. Plant the bulbs 3 to 4 inches deep. It is cold hardy and spreads fast by seed. That spread is a problem in some regions, where it moves into woodlands.

8. Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) grows from small rhizomes called pips, not true bulbs. I include it because you plant it in fall. Set the pips about 1 inch below the soil in shade. The white bell flowers have a sweet scent in May. Every part of the plant is toxic. It spreads, so give it a bed where it can’t take over.

9. Grecian windflower

Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda) makes low, daisy-like flowers in blue, pink, or white. It grows from a hard, dry tuber. Soak the tubers in water overnight before you plant them. Set them 2 to 3 inches deep. It is hard to tell top from bottom, so plant them on their side. Deer tend to skip them.

10. Checkered lily

Checkered lily (Fritillaria meleagris) has nodding bells marked in a purple and white checkered pattern. Plant the small bulbs 4 inches deep in moist soil. It grows wild in damp meadows, so it handles wetter ground than most bulbs. Light shade is fine. It blooms in mid spring.

11. Allium

Allium (Allium spp.) is the ornamental onion. Plant the bulbs three times as deep as they are tall in full sun. Deer and rodents leave them alone. Pollinators love the flowers. The seed heads look good in the garden after the color fades.

12. Dwarf iris

Dwarf iris (Iris reticulata) blooms in late winter and stands 4 to 6 inches tall. The flowers come in deep purple, blue, and pale yellow. Plant the bulbs 3 to 4 inches deep in full sun. They need sharp drainage, so a rock garden or raised bed works best. Plant them close to a path so you see them up close.

13. Glory of the snow

Glory of the snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) has star-shaped blue flowers with a white center. It blooms as the snow melts. Plant the bulbs 3 inches deep in sun or under deciduous trees. It spreads by seed into a carpet over the years. It needs no pruning and little care.

14. Winter aconite

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is one of the first flowers of the year. The yellow cups sit on a ruff of green leaves, 3 to 4 inches tall. The tubers dry out in storage. Soak them overnight and plant them 2 to 3 inches deep as soon as you get them. It likes moist soil under trees and shrubs.

15. Snowdrop

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) has white hanging bells with green marks. It blooms in late winter and grows 4 to 6 inches tall. Plant the bulbs 3 inches deep in part shade and moist soil. Dry bulbs can be slow to start, so buy them early and plant them right away. More in my post on snowdrops.

16. Trout lily

Trout lily (Erythronium spp.), also called dogtooth violet or fawn lily, has mottled leaves like the skin of a trout. The nodding flowers are yellow, white, or pink in early spring. Several species are native to North American woodlands. The corms dry out fast, so plant them the day they arrive. Give them shade and soil rich in leaf mold.

17. Fritillaria

Fritillaria (Fritillaria spp.) covers more than 100 species. The showiest is crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis), with a ring of orange or yellow bells on a 3-foot stem. Plant the large bulbs 6 to 8 inches deep. Set them on their side so water doesn’t sit in the hollow top. The bulbs smell like skunk, which keeps rodents away. See my full post on fritillaria.

18. Trillium

Trillium (Trillium spp.) is a native woodland plant with three leaves and three petals. It grows from a rhizome, not a bulb. Plant it in fall in shade and moist soil rich in organic matter. It grows slow and takes a few years to settle in. Buy plants from a nursery that propagates them. Never dig trilliums from the wild.

19. Camassia

Camassia (Camassia spp.), or camas, is native to North America. It sends up spikes of blue or white stars in late spring. Plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep. Camassia handles wet, heavy soil that rots most bulbs. It fits a rain garden or the edge of a meadow.

20. Star of Bethlehem

Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) has white star flowers with a green stripe on the back of each petal. It blooms in late spring. It has spread into lawns and fields in many parts of North America and is invasive in some areas. The whole plant is toxic. Check your local invasive list before you plant it. Learn more about the star of Bethlehem flower.

How to plant fall bulbs

Plant after the first light frost, once the soil cools. In cold zones that means September or October. In warm zones it can run into December. Pick a spot with sun in spring. A spot under deciduous trees works, since the trees leaf out after most bulbs bloom. Loosen the soil and mix in compost if it is heavy clay. Dig each hole two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Set the bulb pointed end up, cover it, and water it once.

Bulbs to plant in spring instead

Some bulbs can’t survive a frozen winter in the ground. Plant gladiolus, dahlia, canna lily, calla lily, and lily of the Nile in spring after the last frost. In cold zones, dig them up in fall and store them indoors. See my list of bulbs to plant in spring.

FAQs about bulbs to plant in fall

When should bulbs be planted in the fall?

Plant about six weeks before the ground freezes. The bulbs need that time to grow roots. Soil below 60°F (16°C) is the signal for tulips.

Is it too late to plant bulbs in November?

Not if you can still dig. Bulbs planted late often bloom a little later the first spring. A bulb in the ground does better than a bulb left in the bag over winter.

Which fall bulbs do deer leave alone?

Daffodils, alliums, crown imperial, and Grecian windflower are the safest picks. Deer eat tulips and lilies.