13 Early-Blooming Plants to Wake Up Your Spring Garden
If you’re itching for color in your early spring garden, you’re in luck! Farmer Briana Yablonski introduces early-blooming shrubs, bulbs, and herbaceous perennials that will enliven your garden during the transition from winter to spring.

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Let’s face it: winter can be long and dreary. When the first warm day arrives, I’m ready to put on a t-shirt and spend the day with my hands in the soil. While I love to lean into this first taste of spring, I have to remind myself to wait to start tender annuals and transplant young perennials.
Fortunately, early-blooming plants help tide me over until a larger flush of spring flowers arrives. These plants bring color to a mostly drab world and convince me I don’t need to put my tender annuals in the ground just yet.
Whether you’re looking for shrubs that bloom in February or flowering perennials that provide beauty in March, you can find spring blooms that help you achieve your garden dreams.
Crocus

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common name Crocus |
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botanical name Crocus spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-6” |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
Many crocus species exist, but not all bloom in spring. However, many of these tiny flowers appear while late-winter snow is still on the ground, adding pops of purple, yellow, and white at a time when the garden lacks color.
Crocuses are perennials that grow from underground storage structures called corms. Tucking the tiny corms into the ground in the fall allows them to establish and bloom the following year. As long as they remain safe from rot and hungry critters, they’ll continue to bloom every spring over multiple years.
Since the corms produce offshoots over time, I recommend digging them up every three to five years. You can separate the cormlets from the mother corm and plant them in new locations. Not only will this help you add crocuses to new locations, but it will also help prevent the plants from becoming overcrowded.
Crocus leaves naturally wilt after the plants have finished blooming, so don’t worry if you see them fade in late spring. Let the leaves die naturally to prepare the plants for next year’s growth.
Hellebore

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common name Hellebore |
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botanical name Helleborus spp. |
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sun requirements Partial to full shade |
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height 12-24” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are among my favorite early-blooming plants. They bloom from late winter through the mid-spring and thrive in shady locations unsuitable for many other flowering plants. Although they can form dense patches, they rarely become out of control in the garden.
The hellebore plant’s large, divided leaves remain throughout the year, making the plants easy to spot even when not flowering. A month or two after the winter solstice, the plants produce tall flower stalks topped with singular, nodding blooms.
The blossoms come in many colors including bright pink, deep purple, soft yellow, and white. You can even find hellebore varieties with double petals and multi-colored blooms.
Regardless of the type of Lenten rose you choose, plant it in a spot with at least partial shade. These plants thrive in well-draining soil that stays moderately moist during the growing season, so avoid compacted soil and dry areas. With proper care, these perennials will spread gradually and return year after year.
Viola

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common name Viola |
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botanical name Viola spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-12” |
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hardiness zones 1-10 |
The Viola genus contains more than 500 species of herbaceous flowering plants and thousands of varieties! Pansies, violets, and Johnny-jump-ups all belong to this genus. While there is much variation within this group of plants, they all thrive in cool weather. Many violas can bloom in late winter and early spring, making them excellent additions to early season gardens.
Native violets like the downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens), common blue violet (Viola sororia), and long-spurred violet (Viola rostrata) are perennials that bloom each spring. Cultivated varieties like ‘Got the Blues’ pansies are also perennials, but since they often perish in the summer heat, growers regularly treat them like annuals.
All viola flowers are edible, so you can toss them into salads or put them on the tops of cakes. Regularly removing old flowers will encourage new blooms, especially with pansies.
Daffodil

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common name Daffodil |
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botanical name Narcissus spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 8-24” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Daffodils are some of the most iconic spring flowers. To enjoy their beauty, you can plant their bulbs in the fall and wait until you see their slender leaves poke up from the ground the following season. A few weeks after the leaves appear, trumpet-shaped flowers emerge and brighten a chilly world.
Daffodils are distinctive thanks to their unique flower shape. Their flat petals, known as tepals, and large tube-shaped structures, known as coronas, vary by species and variety.
If you think all daffodils have yellow tepals and a distinct trumpet-like corona, I’m here to tell you to start exploring the wide world of daffodil varieties. Browse through the various cultivars to find flowers with double layers of ruffled tepals, white blooms with frilled coronas, and others with vibrant yellow tepals and fluorescent orange coronas.
Flowering Quince

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common name Flowering Quince |
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botanical name Chaenomeles speciosa |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3-12’ |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
Not to be confused with the edible quince, flowering quince is a messy shrub with beautiful flowers. This early bloomer is native to temperate China, where it thrives in well-drained and moderately moist soil. Therefore, it grows well in much of the United States.
The shrub’s trailing stems become covered with tons of small, round flowers in early spring. Most of the flowers are some shade of red, pink, or coral, but you can also find some varieties with white flowers. All of the flowers have yellow stamens.
Flowering quince is pretty easy to maintain, especially if you don’t mind its wild and messy look. You can prune the branches after flowering to keep the plant tidy, but be careful not to remove too much vegetation at once.
Witch Hazel

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common name Witch Hazel |
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botanical name Hamamelis spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 10-20 feet |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
The witch hazel genus consists of numerous species of large shrubs and small trees, and many are native to the eastern United States. While plants like common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) bloom in the late fall or early winter, others like vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) flower in the late winter. You can also find numerous hybrid cultivars that bloom in early spring.
All types of witch hazel produce interesting flowers with four elongated petals. When the shrubs are in full bloom, it looks like hundreds of colorful spiders are attached to the woody branches. Many varieties produce yellow flowers, but you can also find plants with red and pink blooms.
If you want to grow witch hazel, starting with a potted plant is the easiest option. Transplant your plant in the spring or fall when temperatures are cool, and the ground has thawed.
Spring Beauty

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common name Spring Beauty |
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botanical name Claytonia virginica |
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sun requirements Partial shade |
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height 3-6” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
When I started learning about wildflowers that dotted the Pennsylvania forests I grew up exploring, spring beauty quickly became one of my favorites. Although the plants and flowers are small, they’re among the first wildflowers to appear each year. I’ve since viewed them as a signal that spring’s warmth and beauty are on the way.
Spring beauty is native to much of the eastern half of the US, where it thrives in rich, shady woods. Slender grass-like leaves emerge as early as February and are easy to overlook. However, it’s easier to notice the plants when they begin to flower a few weeks later.
The small flowers have five defined white petals with thin white stripes. They remain throughout early spring before the foliage and blooms die back. The plants remain unseen throughout the rest of the year until they reemerge the following season.
Winter Jasmine

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common name Winter Jasmine |
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botanical name Jasminum nudiflorum |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-15’ |
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hardiness zones 6-10 |
Most of the plants on this list start flowering in March or April, but winter jasmine’s blooms arrive on the scene as early as January. The woody plants become covered with small, bright yellow flowers while most of the plant world sleeps, and they continue blooming into late winter. After the flowers fall, small green leaves cover the stems.
These woody perennials can grow as either shrubs or trailing vines. If you keep your winter jasmine plants well-pruned, they can form medium hedges or stand-alone shrubs. Since the plants flower on old wood, aim to prune your plants in the spring after they’re done flowering. You can also let the trailing stems grow wild and watch them cascade down a wall or up a trellis.
While this shrub doesn’t offer much color throughout the warmer months, it experiences little pest and disease pressure. The plants can also tolerate moderate drought once they’re well established.
Pasque Flower

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common name Pasque Flower |
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botanical name Pulsatilla spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 6-12” |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
While many plants produce leaves before they flower, pasque flowers bloom before their foliage appears. In early spring, the singular purple or white flowers appear atop a short stem. The bright yellow stamens contrast nicely with the large petal-like sepals.
There are close to 40 pasqueflower species. Some are native to Eurasia while others call North America home. Some species native to the United States include eastern pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens), American pasqueflower (Pulsatilla hirsutissima), and prairie pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana).
Although cold-hardiness varies by species, many of these plants can tolerate temperatures well below freezing. That makes them an excellent choice for gardeners in cold areas like Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
Snowdrop

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common name Snowdrop |
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botanical name Galanthus nivalis |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-10” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
The drooping white snowdrop flowers are some of the first bulb blooms to emerge each spring. In fact, their name comes from their ability to blossom while snow is still on the ground. They fill the air with a light honey fragrance and draw in pollinators just emerging from the winter.
Although the plants thrive in full sun during their flowering season, they benefit from some shade during the heat of summer. Therefore, planting them under deciduous trees or shrubs is a great option. The snowdrops will receive lots of sun in the early spring and then enjoy shade after the larger plants leaf out.
If you want to grow snowdrops, planting the bulbs in the fall is your best option. You should bury them three to four inches underground as soon as nights are between 40-50°F (4-10°C). Therefore, planting the bulbs in September or October is ideal in many areas. Planting clusters of the bulbs creates a nice look as long as you space each bulb two to three inches apart.
Moss Phlox

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common name Moss Phlox |
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botanical name Phlox subulata |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 4-6” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
During the springtime, moss phlox is one of my favorite plants to spot. While shrubs like winter jasmine and bulbs like daffodils bloom in the early spring, the large patches of colorful phlox give me hope that warmer and brighter days are ahead.
Also known as creeping phlox, ground pink, or moss pink, moss phlox is a low-growing and spreading phlox species. The plants remain less than six inches tall, but they can spread multiple feet and create vibrant pink or purple carpets. Their long, thin leaves resemble pine needles.
This phlox species is native to much of the eastern and central United States, so you can find it growing in wild areas as well as gardens. The plants thrive in sunny and well-draining areas like rocky outcroppings and south-facing slopes. This species can tolerate dry and coarse soil better than other types of phlox, so it’s a good option for rock gardens and sandy soil.
Flowers come in various shades of pink, purple, and white. You can also find cultivars like ‘North Hills’ and ‘Eye Candy’ that have two-toned flowers with central eyes.
Lungwort

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common name Lungwort |
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botanical name Pulmonaria spp. |
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sun requirements Partial to full shade |
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height 6-12” |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Lungwort is a low-growing perennial that thrives in shady areas. It remains less than a foot tall and slowly spreads by rhizomes, so it works well as a groundcover for woodland edges and shady areas. However, clumps of the plants also mix well with shade lovers like hostas and foamflower.
Lungwort blooms early in the season, sending up straight flower stalks topped with a cluster of tiny blossoms. Each small flower has five distinct lobes and a slightly funneled shape. The flowers may be pink, purple, or blue, and some varieties produce multiple colors of blooms.
Although lungwort only blooms in the spring, its interesting foliage adds interest to your garden during the summer and fall. Most lungwort plants produce upright stalks with alternately arranged lanceolate leaves. The green leaves have fine, dense hairs and white spots that look like neat paint splatters.
Primrose

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common name Primrose |
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botanical name Primula spp. |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 6-24” |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
Primrose flowers hold a special place in my heart. Growing up, my mom planted multiple maroon and yellow primrose plants on a slightly wooded slope beside our home. The first flowers appeared sometime around the last frost and continued to bloom throughout the summer. They still remain one of my favorite early-blooming garden plants today.
While I was familiar with the maroon and yellow flowers, the primrose genus consists of close to 500 species, many of which bloom in early spring. Gardeners often refer to numerous cultivated Primula species as ‘primrose.’ These include the common primrose (Primula vulgaris) and the many hybrids created for their beautiful flowers.
Although primrose plants vary slightly in appearance, they all have a low-growing rosette of oblong leaves. They produce upright stalks topped with clusters of rounded, five-petaled flowers. Bloom time varies by location and variety, but many primroses bloom from early spring through summer.
Most of these plants are short-lived perennials that thrive in areas with dappled light or partial shade. So, they’re perfect for woodland edges or sparsely shaded forests.