Best Fall Bulbs to Plant for Spring Color: 6 Types Compared

The Best Fall Bulbs, Ranked

The best fall bulbs for most gardens are daffodils, followed by alliums, crocus, the small early bulbs such as squill and grape hyacinth, hyacinths, and tulips. That order reflects how well each one comes back and how often animals eat it. Extension guidance from New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa supports it: daffodils return reliably and are rarely eaten, while most modern tulips bloom well for only 3 to 5 years and are a favorite of voles, chipmunks and deer.

1. Daffodils (Narcissus). These return reliably year after year, and animals rarely eat the bulbs. If you plant one thing this fall, plant these.
2. Alliums. Ornamental onions close the bulb season, flowering into late June. They are usually safe from wildlife without any protection.
3. Crocus. Among the earliest flowers of spring and inexpensive enough to plant by the dozen. Some species naturalize easily. Crocus bulbs are eaten more often than daffodils and less often than tulips.
4. Squill, grape hyacinth, snowdrops and glory-of-the-snow. The small bulbs are planted in drifts of 25 or more and are usually left alone by animals. Snowdrops can open as early as February.
5. Hyacinths. Dense, fragrant flower spikes, and a bulb that squirrels and chipmunks tend to pass over.
6. Tulips. No other bulb matches the color range. Choose the class carefully, because longevity varies from a few years to many.

Fall Bulbs Compared

Bulb	Bloom season	Depth	Spacing	Eaten by animals?	Comes back?
Daffodil, large	Mid to late spring	6 to 8 in.	6 to 8 in.	Rarely	Yes, reliably
Daffodil, small	Mid to late spring	3 to 5 in.	4 to 6 in.	Rarely	Yes, reliably
Allium, large	Late spring into June	6 in.	12 to 18 in.	Usually safe	Generally
Allium, small	Late spring into June	3 to 5 in.	6 to 8 in.	Usually safe	Generally
Crocus	Early spring	3 to 4 in.	3 in.	Sometimes	Yes, some naturalize
Squill	Early spring	3 to 4 in.	3 in.	Usually safe	Generally
Grape hyacinth	Early spring	3 to 4 in.	3 to 4 in.	Usually safe	Generally
Hyacinth	Spring	6 in.	6 to 8 in.	Seldom by squirrels	Generally
Tulip, large hybrid	Mid to late spring	6 to 8 in.	4 to 6 in.	Often	3 to 5 good years for most
Tulip, species	Early to late spring	3 to 5 in.	3 to 4 in.	Often	Yes, perennializes well

Depth and spacing figures are Iowa State University Extension’s. Bloom order follows University of Wisconsin Extension: snowdrops and winter aconites first, then crocus, squill and grape hyacinth, then daffodils and tulips from mid to late spring.

Which Tulips Last

Iowa State notes that most modern tulip cultivars bloom well for 3 to 5 years before the bulbs lose vigor. Class makes the difference. Darwin hybrids, with stems up to 30 inches tall, often bloom well for several years and are among the better perennial tulips. Kaufmanniana tulips, only 6 to 8 inches tall, are long-lived. Fosteriana, Greigii and the species tulips all perennialize well. University of Maryland Extension names Darwin hybrids and species such as Linifolia and Tarda as the most reliable. Triumph tulips, the class that fills most mixed bags, are short-term perennials that bloom for only a few years.

Three habits stretch the life of any tulip. Plant in a spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun and well-drained soil. Remove spent flowers promptly so the plant does not form seed pods. Let the foliage die back naturally before you remove it. In hot-summer regions these steps are not enough: Clemson Extension advises that tulips can usually be counted on for a single season of color in South Carolina, where gardeners treat them as annuals. For a longer view of that trade-off, see annuals vs. perennials.

When to Plant Fall Bulbs

Soil temperature is the signal. Clemson advises waiting until the soil at planting depth stays below 60°F. Planted into warm soil, bulbs may send up leaves in fall, which is why Iowa State steers gardeners away from September and calls October the ideal month there. Planting in Iowa can continue as late as December if the ground remains unfrozen. In western Pennsylvania the window is September to October, and University of Illinois Extension gives late September through October so roots can develop before winter.

Warm-winter gardeners face the opposite problem. Most spring bulbs need a chilling period of 12 to 16 weeks to flower. On the South Carolina coast, bulbs are held in the refrigerator in ventilated packages and planted in late December or early January.

How to Choose Bulbs at the Store

Pick bulbs the way you would pick onions. Iowa State’s advice is to choose firm, solid bulbs and avoid any that are shriveled or lightweight. Penn State adds that quality bulbs are free from cuts and gashes. Within one variety, larger bulbs give a better flower display than smaller ones, so the top-size grade is worth paying for with tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.

Buy enough to plant in groups. Large bulbs need at least five of one variety together, and groupings of 10 or more look best. Small bulbs such as crocus and squill need drifts of at least 25, and 50 or more is better. A mixed bag with three of everything falls short of every one of those counts, so put the budget into one or two varieties bought in quantity.

How Deep and How Far Apart

The general rule is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. Penn State works the example: a 2-inch tulip bulb goes 5 to 6 inches deep. Iowa State’s table gives 6 to 8 inches for large tulips and daffodils, 6 inches for hyacinths, 3 to 5 inches for species tulips and small daffodils, and 3 to 4 inches for crocus, squill and grape hyacinth. Alliums split by size in the same table: large bulbs go 6 inches deep and small ones 3 to 5 inches.

Spacing follows size. Large tulips sit 4 to 6 inches apart, large daffodils and hyacinths 6 to 8 inches, and crocus and squill 3 inches. Large alliums need 12 to 18 inches and small ones 6 to 8 inches. Because the small bulbs are shallow, you can plant them directly above the large ones for two waves of bloom from the same square foot.

Drainage decides whether the bulbs survive. Wisconsin Extension calls poor drainage the biggest problem bulbs face and recommends working compost or other organic matter into the upper 8 inches of soil. After planting, cover the bed with 2 to 3 inches of mulch to steady soil temperature and moisture through winter.

Keeping Animals Off New Bulbs

Freshly planted tulips are regularly eaten by voles, chipmunks and deer, and crocus to a lesser extent. The simplest defense is the plant list. University of New Hampshire Extension lists daffodils, snowdrops, glory-of-the-snow, Siberian squill, grape hyacinth and allium as usually safe without added protection. Illinois Extension suggests daffodils, alliums, scilla or hyacinths where squirrels and chipmunks are a problem.

If you want tulips anyway, cage them. Make a box from 1/2-inch galvanized hardware cloth, set the bulbs inside root end down, and bury the whole cage at planting depth. Skip bone meal at planting, since it can attract the rodents that dig bulbs up. Deer eat tulips as well, and the fencing and repellent options are in how to stop deer from eating flowers. For pots, see keeping squirrels and chipmunks out of containers.

Bulbs pair well with later plants that hide the fading foliage. Daylilies, hostas and the other choices in low-maintenance perennials leaf out as daffodil leaves yellow.

Quick recap

• Daffodils first: they return reliably and animals rarely eat them.
• Alliums, squill, grape hyacinth and snowdrops are usually safe from wildlife; tulips and crocus are not.
• For tulips that last, buy Darwin hybrids or species tulips. Most other cultivars give 3 to 5 good years.
• Plant when soil at planting depth stays below 60°F, which is October in Iowa.
• Depth is two to three times bulb height: 6 to 8 inches for large bulbs, 3 to 4 inches for crocus and squill.
• Plant large bulbs in groups of 10 or more and small bulbs in drifts of 25 to 50.