17 Heirloom Flower Bulbs to Plant This Season

Heirlooms possess a richness in heritage and diversity in form and flowering. Historic bulbs sometimes reflect the straight species or a near relative, closer to the wild than highly cultivated selections bred for certain traits. More than a romantic notion, they’re important in preserving and promoting the genetic diversity in our gardens.

“Heirloom” is not a strict definition in horticulture. For bulbs, it often refers to pre-World War II—before 1938—when fewer hybrids grew in gardens. It represents a selection with great antiquity or just 50 years or older.

Tulip ‘Mount Tacoma’

	botanical name Tulipa ‘Mount Tacoma’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20-22”
	hardiness zones 3-8

‘Mount Tacoma’ is a 1924 peony-type tulip (double late flowering) with decadent petaling. The elegant double blooms hold layers and folds of creamy white.

The elegant and crisp ‘Mount Tacoma’ has a long bloom time for weeks of abundant petals. On long, slender stems, they make gorgeous cut flowers.

Peony tulips are fragrant and long-lasting. They need exposure to sufficient cold temperatures to produce their big, double forms.

Daffodil ‘Actaea’

	botanical name Narcissus ‘Actaea’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15-18”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Over a century old, ‘Actaea’ is a beloved poeticus daffodil with broad outer petals and a shallow central disk. The pure petals are crisp white with a painterly crimson-rimmed corona. The interior of the disk is soft gold and green for an overall delicate contrast.

‘Actaea,’ introduced before 1919, is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient and American Daffodil Society Wister Award winner. It’s one of the last to flower and bears a sweet, spicy fragrance. 

‘Actaea’ perennializes readily with low-maintenance growing requirements, to be left undisturbed for years. It tolerates wet, poorly drained soils better than other Narcissus.

Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’

	botanical name Paeonia tenuifolia ‘Sarah Bernhardt’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

The historic ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is a 1906 introduction. Huge, fully-petaled soft pink blooms feature fuschia flecks and a sweet fragrance of floral and citrus notes. The decadent double blooms reach seven to nine inches across.

‘Sarah Bernhardt’ flowers prolifically with a robust habit, earning it the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It is also drought tolerant, cold hardy, and a long-lived garden performer.

‘Sarah Bernhardt’ blooms from late spring to early summer as a late peony. Easy-care once established, it grows best in moist, well-drained soils. Provide afternoon protection from intense direct sun.

Tulip ‘Queen of Night’

	botanical name Tulipa ‘Queen of Night’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 24-30”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Embracing the dark and dramatic the heirloom ‘Queen of Night’ is a single late-blooming tulip bulb with purple-red, nearly black flowers. Its satiny petals form perfect cups on tall stems. 

The deep tones create a striking contrast and add a sense of depth among other colorful plants. ‘Queen of Night’ is beautiful against pale pinks, yellows, whites, and apricots, both in tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils and hyacinths. It also complements vibrant pigments.

‘Queen of Night’ is a circa 1940 tulip. Look for ‘Black Hero’ for a double sport of ‘Queen.’

English Bluebells

	botanical name Hyacinthoides non-scripta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 5-8

English bluebells have sweet blue-violet bell flowers that suspend from arching stems. The fragrant blooms appear above leafy crowns for about five weeks in spring and summer.

Borne of folkloric appeal since the 1200s, the wildflowers are fairy creations that lure humans to a life of lost wandering. Picking or trampling the bluebells is to ring the fairies and to seal one’s fate. 

English bluebells grow best in cool, moist conditions, with a natural habitat of stream banks, wet meadows, and damp woodlands. They need good air circulation to prevent mildew diseases.

Daffodil ‘Dutch Master’

	botanical name Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 3-8

‘Dutch Master’ is tried and true and a standard among large-cupped daffodils. Substantial blooms are bold and bright in sunny yellow with fluted, flaring trumpets.

1938’s ‘Dutch Master’ joins the ranks of ‘King Alfred,’ an early hallmark circa 1899. ‘King Alfred’ remains an icon but is harder to find. ‘Dutch Master’ and others are often sold under its name with a resemblance in form and vigor. 

This award-winning, floriferous performer has Award of Garden Merit and Wister status. Known for its dependable flowering in mid-spring, ‘Dutch Master’ perennializes freely for years of show. ‘Dutch’ also forces easily for a lovely indoor display or gift of cheer.

Hyacinth ‘Carnegie’

	botanical name Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Carnegie’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Hyacinths offer wands of color and fragrance. Clusters emerge on a single stem in white, pink, lavender, gold, and blue with an intensely sweet perfume.

‘Carnegie’ has large, densely-packed spikes of snowy white florets. It’s among the most pure white available with soft, creamy notes. ‘City of Haarlem’ is another heirloom (1893) with buttery blossoms. ‘White Pearl,’ newer from 1954, is ivory with a heavenly fragrance.

‘Carnegie’ isn’t as fragrant as some in the species, but it makes up for it in the size of the full wands.

Crocus ‘Flower Record’

	botanical name Crocus vernus ‘Flower Record’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Crocus are among the first surprises of spring when tufts of fine blades and cupped blooms pop up in drifts, along walkways, and in grassy areas. They bloom in early spring for about three weeks, opening by day and closing at night.

‘Flower Record’ is from 1958 and is popularly grown in the Netherlands now for its large, royal purple blooms and a contrasting orange, ruffled center. It naturalizes well, slowly spreading to form a cluster. Divide them after several years to expand and thin the colony.

For prominent yellow cups, Crocus x luteus ‘Mammoth’ has sunny flowers on four to six-inch stems. This is a 1665 historical specimen, still relevant over 300 years later!

Daffodil ‘Carlton’

	botanical name Narcissus ‘Carlton’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 16-20”
	hardiness zones 3-8

‘Carlton’ is the golden daffodil we conjure when we picture the blooms. They feature a prominent ruffled cup on sturdy stems. A 1927 heirloom variety, these bulbs are consistently among the most popular for their picture-perfect flowers and performance. The lemon-yellow petals surround golden trumpets.

‘Carlton’ is an Award of Garden Merit recipient. It shows in early to mid-spring and has a subtle vanilla scent. This is a strong perennializer for years of recurrent color, even in warm, Southern climates where others fade.

‘Tete-a-Tete’ and ‘Sweetness’ are other award-winning heirloom daffodils in cheery yellow. These, too, make good perennial displays across warm and cold climates. 

Camas Lily

	botanical name Camassia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1-4’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Camassia is a North American native with tall, upright bloom spikes. Starry lavender-blue flowers appear and in April and May and draw pollinators.

Camas is a Pacific Northwest perennial with a long ethnobotanical history surrounding the edible roots. Meriwether Lewis describes them in 1806 in his westward explorations.

Camas lily opens from bottom to top and make showy cut specimens. It’s beautiful in meadows, wildflower gardens, and naturalized displays or among perennials that will conceal its fading foliage post-bloom.

These naturalize in optimal conditions. Plant heirloom camas flowers in groups for impact, with each bulb six inches apart. It grows best in moist, rich, acidic soils. 

Hardy Cyclamen

	botanical name Cyclamen hederifolium
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 5-9

C. hederifolium (hardy or ivy-leaved cyclamen) is a low-growing perennial with dynamic foliage and delicate blooms. In fall, it produces white, pink, and purple upright petals on single stems. Dark green, ivy foliage has intricate silver patterning.

The species from the late 1500s boasts Award of Garden Merit status and spreads through tubers and seeds to form colonies, They tolerate dry shade and make a lovely ground cover under canopy.

Daffodil ‘Mount Hood’

	botanical name Narcissus ‘Mount Hood’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18-20”
	hardiness zones 3-8

This 1938 American Daffodil Society Historic selection is a long-running favorite. Its flared trumpet sits upon a creamy white foundation. It starts out buttery yellow-white and matures to soft creamy white.

The award-winner (both Wister and Award of Garden Merit, among others) has strong stems and a robust, floriferous habit. These are elegant in a stand with their upright stems and large, five-inch blossoms.

Crocus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’

	botanical name Crocus vernus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-5”
	hardiness zones 4-8

‘Jeanne d’Arc’ (c. 1943) is a white-flowered crocus with a purple base and bright, orange-yellow stamens. Each plant holds several of the upright, cupped blooms.

‘Remembrance’ is an heirloom bulb that is over 100 years old, boasting velvety, royal purple flowers. ‘Blue Pearl’ (1950)—the “bluest” crocus—is lovely in light sky-lavender shades with a gold base.

Anemone ‘White Splendour’

	botanical name Anemone blanda ‘White Splendour’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6”
	hardiness zones 4-8

This little darling bulb is an heirloom white windflower with prim daisy blooms in early spring. Cheery yellow centers with rosy pink backs highlight the blossoms among fine-textured foliage.

Beautiful in large drifts, they form a carpet of color to brighten the season before summer dormancy as temperatures warm. 

This historic award winning is ideal along walkways, border edges, and under canopy as a naturalized display. Its partner in blue, ‘Blue Shades,’ boasts the same historic and Award of Garden Merit status in shades of purple-violet.

Hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’

	botanical name Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Pink Pearl’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12”
	hardiness zones 4-9

‘Pink Pearl’ is from 1922 and remains a favorite with densely packed flowerheads. In ribbons of silvery pink, blossoms have deep rose centers with pinkish-white edges.

With a sweet fragrance to match it has RHS’ Award of Garden Merit status. ‘Pink Pearl’ perennializes for years of color and fragrance.

For a beautiful coral variety, look for ‘Gypsy Queen’ (1927). ‘Gypsy Queen’ has more slender floral spikes (racemes) in warm salmon, apricot, and bronze tones.

Fritillaria ‘Lutea Maxima’

	botanical name Fritillaria imperialis ‘Lutea Maxima’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Fritillaria is elegant with delicate stems that hold pendulous bell blooms that are solid, checkered, or spotted. North American native species like F. meleagris (also heirloom) make unique wildflower and naturalized additions.

A favorite among the genus is the centuries-old crown imperials from the Himalayas as far back as the 1590s. In yellow, orange, and red, the drooping bells rise on tall, sturdy stems with a flared, glossy, leafy crown.

‘Lutea Maxima’ from the late 1800s has clear yellow flowers and a long bloom time. Its exotic ornamental value and performance gained it Award of Garden Merit status along with its striking red counterpart, ‘Rubra Maxima.’

Peony ‘Festiva Maxima’

	botanical name Paeonia lactiflora ‘Festiva Maxima’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Charming peonies are full-flowered, often semi-double or double, with large, ruffled petals. They bloom once a season, from late spring to early summer, and choosing a few with different bloom times prolongs the seasonal display.

‘Festiva Maxima,’ from 1851, is a hardy performer with lush, double white petals and splashes of crimson. ‘Festiva Maxima’ is a good pick for warmer climates and also highly fragrant. The classic beauty ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ (1858) features huge, scented blooms in pure white. Both are Award of Garden Merit recipients.