15 Hardy Perennial Bulbs You Can Plant Now

Fall is an ideal time for planting spring-blooming bulbs. Many perennial bulbs are cold–hardy and perform excellently this way. If you’re unsure which bulbs are okay to plant now, I have a great list of hardy bulbs for you. 

Most cold-tolerant bulbs don’t just tolerate fall planting; they actually need a period of cold to help them bloom. If you plant your tulips in early spring, you may see them peek out of the soil, but your blooms will be scant and underwhelming. Planting these bulbs in the fall ensures that the plant will get a strong start and form the best blooms. 

All the bulbs listed are cold-hardy perennials, regardless of the variety. I’ve just included some beautiful varieties to get your creative juices flowing. There are so many incredible varieties of hardy bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, and many more. Let’s take a look!

Glory of the Snow ‘Blue Giant’

	botanical name Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Blue Giant’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”-12”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Glory of the snow is so named for its early blooming habit. This is one of the first flowers to pop up in late winter to early spring. Fine, grasslike foliage makes a pretty ground cover as the plants colonize over time. Under the right conditions, these will naturalize and reproduce by offsets, forming large colonies. 

Glory of the snow grows best in partial shade, but it will tolerate more exposure in cool climates. ‘Blue Giant’ has larger, more robust flowers than its parent species typically has. They are true periwinkle blue with a pure white star in the center. It makes a lovely border for the garden or woodland areas.

Lily of the Valley ‘Rosea’

	botanical name Convallaria majalis var. rosea
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6”-9”
	hardiness zones 2-7

Lily of the valley is an enchanting little perennial. It looks to me like it belongs in a fairytale. Broad, straplike leaves are bold in contrast to the delicate, almost fragile flowers. The fine stems have a slight weeping habit, and the tiny, bell-shaped blossoms dangle toward the ground.

The ‘Rosea’ variation doesn’t look much different from the standard in this case. The only difference is a faint, rosy tint to the petite blooms. Lily of the Valley colonizes easily in partial to full shade, too well in certain areas. In regions outside its invasive range, it makes a charming woodland border. 

Hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’

	botanical name Hyacinth orientalis ‘Pink Pearl’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Hyacinths are the smell of Easter for me. As a child, they were my favorite spring flower because they smelled heavenly and lasted a long time, too! They make excellent cut flowers and throw a lot of scents indoors. 

‘Pink Pearl’ is an award-winning hyacinth with the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. The bubblegum flowers have a cotton-candy border, darker inside with light pink margins. Plant these as a border for, or near to, a walking path to enjoy their perfume.

Tulip ‘Akebono’

	botanical name Tulipa ‘Akebono’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 12”-24”
	hardiness zones 3-7

The sheer number of tulip varieties out there is enough to make me dizzy. There are early bloomers and late bloomers, single, double, and peony petal forms. The options are nearly endless, as are the color combinations. Tulips are easy to care for and prefer a bit of neglect, especially with regard to watering. 

‘Akebono’ is a Darwin hybrid tulip. These typically have the largest flowers, and this one happens to be semi-double, giving it a rose-like appearance. The many petals are golden yellow with an ultra-fine red margin. They are mid-spring bloomers and need well-draining soil.

Daffodil ‘British Gamble’

	botanical name Narcissus pseudonarcissus ‘British Gamble’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12”-24″
	hardiness zones 3-8

I love how daffodils start with their heads bent toward the ground and raise their heads as they open. Their petal formation is unique and comes in the prettiest shades of yellow, white, orange, and pink. My bridesmaids carried daffodils, so they hold a special nostalgia for me. 

‘British Gamble’ isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill daffodil. The six starlike outer petals are white as snow and delicately shimmer when light hits them. The cup is the prettiest shade of peach, making this one of the loveliest blooms in the spring garden. 

Lily ‘Night Rider’

	botanical name Lilium ‘Night Rider’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 35”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Lilies do well when planted in the fall. These classic, early-summer bloomers smell great and produce some of the largest perennial flowers in the garden. More than 2,000 varieties are spread out over 100+ species and 9 different divisions. 

‘Night Rider’ is a gorgeous hybrid Asiatic lily. It’s nearly black in the shade, and you will notice a burgundy glow to the petals in the light. This highly fragrant variety would be perfect for a goth garden. 

Snowdrop ‘Flore Pleno’

	botanical name Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”-9″
	hardiness zones 3-7

Snowdrops are the birth flower of January and one of the earlier spring blooming bulbs around. In fact, they truly bloom while it’s still winter. Small and unassuming, the thin green leaves can pop up straight through a layer of snow. 

Atop slender stems, snowdrop flowers are small, delicate, and downturned. ‘Flore Pleno’ has distinctive, double-petaled flowers with small, white-trimmed, green petaloids in the center. Encircling these are the classic three white petals typical to the genus. 

Prairie Blazing Star

	botanical name Liatris pycnostachya
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 24”-60”
	hardiness zones 3-9

If you love to feed pollinators, prairie blazing star is a bulb you’ve just got to plant this fall. These tall, elegant wildflowers with their tiny fringed flowers are a favorite among butterflies. They look wonderful in a wildflower meadow or cottage garden.

The straight stems can be as tall as four feet but are often shorter. Atop each spike is a bottle brush cluster of fuzzy purple petals. Hummingbirds are also attracted to prairie blazing stars.

Crocus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’

	botanical name Crocus vernus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-6”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Crocuses pop up early in the season and are as sweet and charming as possible. Their cup-shaped flowers face up toward the sky. Plant a mass of these if you want a drift that conveys understated elegance. 

Crocuses have a wildflower vibe, and they colonize easily. Be careful not to mow for about a month after they bloom, as this can damage the developing corms. ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ is a pure white variety with a single purple stripe at every petal’s base. Yellow stamens peek just over the petals. The flowers are larger than average. 

Siberian Squill ‘Spring Beauty’

	botanical name Scilla siberica ‘Spring Beauty’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-6”
	hardiness zones 2-8

Siberian squill is another bulb that naturalizes easily. They join snowdrops, crocuses, and glory of the snow as early spring bloomers. The petite plants with their blue blossoms mingle well with smaller varieties of daffodils. They are also one of the most cold hardy entries on the list. 

‘Spring Beauty’ is a larger variety that produces an abundance of pretty blue flowers. They are flexible about exposure and soil as long as they have proper drainage and at least partial sun. It’s considered invasive in a small range in the northern midwest. 

Foxtail Lily ‘Cleopatra’

	botanical name Eremurus x isabellinus ‘Cleopatra’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4’-5’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Foxtail lilies aren’t quite as hardy as most others on this list, but are they ever pretty? Impressive might be a better word for these towering pollinator magnets. They are cold-hardy, but only to Zone 5. These lovely, tall pollinator favorites make a great addition to the mid-ground of your beds. 

‘Cleopatra’ sends up willowy spikes of apricot blooms that sway in the breeze. Plant them among other perennials as their foliage is short-lived. You can grow them as annuals in colder climates, but plant them in the spring instead. 

Fritillaria ‘Brahms’

	botanical name Fritillaria imperialis ‘Brahms’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Fritillaria are charming and beautiful with their pendulous clusters of soft flowers. These add character to your flower beds with their sprays of foliage at the base and up top. Give them some shade in warmer climates, and wait till spring to plant north of Zone 5. 

‘Brahms’ is a dwarf variety in the Rascal series. The blooms are the sweetest shade of deep apricot with bright green foliage. They have a musky fragrance and are nectar-rich, so they draw pollinators, but not rabbits or deer. 

Allium ‘Miami’

	botanical name Allium atropurpureum ‘Miami’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’-4’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Alliums are in the onion and garlic family, but you wouldn’t guess it by looking at them. Tall, willowy stems have very decorative flower heads, typically round and shades of white and purple. The smell is similar, though, so they are great for warding off garden pests. 

‘Miami’ has ball-shaped clusters of purple, star-shaped blooms that can tower up to three and a half feet off the ground. They mix well with other cold-hardy perennial bulbs like tulips and daffodils.

Camas Lily ‘Blue Melody’

	botanical name Camassia quamash ‘Blue Melody’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-2’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Camas lilies bloom in late spring and early summer, bridging the gap between spring and summer bloomers. They top out around 18 inches tall, leaving plenty of room for fore and background plants to shine along with them. They like rich, moist soil and plenty of sunshine to do their best blooming. 

‘Blue Melody’ has spiky racemes of deep periwinkle blue blossoms that open from the bottom up. They have a substantial bloom time, and pollinators love them, especially bees. They are generally resistant to pests and diseases, and they make gorgeous cut bouquets.

Dutch Iris ‘Blue Magic’

	botanical name Iris hollandica ‘Blue Magic’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-2’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Dutch irises are graceful and delicate compared to their bearded cousins. They have a quiet, understated elegance and look incredible in a cut floral arrangement. Their stems are tall and slender with slim, tapered leaves.