Early bloomers are the first plants of the year to delight us with their colorful blooms. We have put together the 15 most beautiful early blooming flowers for you.
The garden was just pale and grey, but all of a sudden you can see the first early blooming flowers. Early bloomers, also known as spring bloomers, are the first brightly colored figures after a long, gray winter, signaling the approach of spring. So it's no wonder that early bloomers in the garden are an absolute must for many. But which spring flowers are the prettiest? Here is a spring flowering list of the most beautiful plants you shouldn't miss.
What are early bloomers?
When talking about early bloomers, the question quickly arises as to what is actually meant by that. Early bloomers are generally all plants that show their first flowers between January and April - the term not only refers to flowers and perennials, but also to shrubs and trees that bloom during this period. Early bloomers are particularly common in the forest: Since the deciduous trees have not yet formed new leaves when they bloom, the spring bloomers in the forest can take advantage of the unfiltered light at the beginning of the year. Other early-blooming species flower so early in the year because they grow in locations that are dry in the summer. As a result, there would not be enough water for the resource-sapping bloom later in the year. So that the plants have enough energy in spring for a timely budding, storage organs are widespread in early bloomers. These include, for example, bulbs, tubers or rhizomes.
1. Anemones
Anemones (Anemone) are among the most popular plant species in the garden with almost 120 different species. Of course, there are also some spring plants among the anemones: The Balkan wood anemone (Anemone blanda) shows its flowers in a sheltered location from February onwards, with color variations from white to violet to blue shine. Our native wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) also opens itswhite and pink flowers from end of February. Both spring flowers prefer sandy, humus-rich soil with light shade in the garden and are considered bee-friendly thanks to their high pollen count.
Warning: Not all plants of the anemone genus bloom in spring, there are also plants that bloom in summer and autumn. Therefore, always pay attention to the exact species name when buying.
What would spring be without tulips (Tulipa)? It doesn't matter whether you plant the spring flowers in a pot or have a spot ready for them in the garden, the colorful flower attracts everyone's attention. With almost 150 species and countless breeds in almost every imaginable color variant, every gardener will find the right tulip as an early bloomer for his garden. The flowering time of the tulips extends from beginning of April to the end of May and can differ depending on the species. In order for the tulip to unfold in all its glory, it is important that you plant it in the right place: When planting tulips, you should note that the spring bulbs do not tolerate waterlogging, which is why loose, well-drained soil is an absolute must .
3. Crocus
The crocus (Crocus) is definitely one of the best-known early bloomers their first flowers, so that they provide the first splashes of color in the new year. This makes the early bloomer very important for bees, as it is one of the first sources of food in the new year. However, there are not only early flowering crocuses - autumn crocuses are known for their late flowering from September to October. Luckily, there isn’t much to consider to ensure that the spring bloomers feel good. If you pay attention to a sunny location and permeable soil when planting the crocuses, the bee-friendly early bloomers will feel right at home almost anywhere.
Anyone looking for a spring bloomer with an intense scent should definitely take a closer look at the hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis hybrids): The early bloomers in blue, white, violet and numerous others Colors not only impress with their appearance, but also with their heavy, sweet smell. The numerous bell-shaped flowers that from Aprilappear, also make the hyacinth a popular early bloomer for bees. Hyacinths are particularly suitable as bee-friendly early bloomers for the balcony, because they prefer a sunny and sheltered spot.
You can find out what you should consider when caring for hyacinths in our special article.
5. Snowdrop
If you think of an early bloomer in white, the graceful snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) immediately comes to mind. Naturally, the early bloomers are most common in the forest, but today the delicate flowers can also be found in numerous gardens. With their early flowering, which usually starts in February, the snowdrop is not only one of the first heralds of spring, but is also extremely popular with bees and butterflies. A humus-rich, loose soil is ideal for early bloomers, the snowdrop also prefers a location under deciduous trees with lots of light. If you keep this in mind when planting the snowdrop, the early blooming flower will also feel at home in your garden. The snowdrop is often confused with the spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum), which you will also find in this article.
From March to May the flowers of the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) light up in the garden and are clearly visible. This makes the dandelion a typical early bloomer. Unfortunately, the dandelion is still considered by many to be just an annoying weed - the early bloomer with the yellow flowers is not only pretty to look at, but also very useful: the edible weed has long been considered a medicinal plant that stimulates the metabolism. In addition, the dandelion is a suitable early bloomer for bees, as it is rich in both pollen and nectar. In addition, the plant is not exactly picky about its location, so you can plant the dandelion in almost any garden.
Tip: In addition to the common dandelion, there are numerous other types of dandelion that are also suitable for the garden. The white-flowered dandelion (Taraxacum albidum), which blooms from May, is particularly pretty.
7. Daisy
Almost every child knowsDaisies (Bellis perennis) - no wonder, after all they areperennial early bloomers. They can be found in almost any lawn, preferring nutrient-rich soil and full sun. From March to November the early bloomers bear their yellow inflorescences, which are edged with white bracts. Due to its long flowering period, the daisy is popular with bees and other insects, despite its low nectar and pollen value, because it helps to bridge phases when there is little food. In addition to the wild daisy, there are also cultivated varieties that are suitable as spring flowers for the balcony or garden. The best known is probably the daisy (Bellis perennis hybrid), which comes in numerous color variations and also flowers from March.
8. March mug
Although the March mug (Leucojum vernum) bears the month of March in its name, the white early bloomer often begins in February by to show off its bell-shaped flowers. The perennial spring plant is a great asset, especially for shade gardens. The shade plant thrives wonderfully in nutrient-rich soil - but it does not tolerate sunny locations. As an early bloomer, the March cup is very valuable for bees, as it is one of the first foraging plants in spring.
9. Primrose
With their colorful flowers, primroses (Primula) reliably ensure a good mood in the bed even in wet, gray weather. As early bloomers, primroses show their flowers, which are available in almost every color variation from white to yellow to violet, often as early as February and thus provide the first color accents in the bed. But primroses have always cut a fine figure as spring bloomers in pots, so that early bloomers are suitable for the balcony if you can offer them a sunny or partially shaded spot. In particular, native primrose species such as the cowslip (Primula elatior) are also considered to be particularly bee-friendly early bloomers, as they have a good nectar and pollen value - double cultivated varieties, on the other hand, are not known as bee-friendly balcony plants.
Tip: Primroses prefer very nutrient-rich soil. If you want to grow primroses, you should therefore use a phosphate-reduced compost soil when planting in the bed, such asour Plantura organic universal soil. The garden soil already contains enough phosphate for the plants.
10. Winterling
The Winter Agaric (Eranthis hyemalis) sprout reliably even at temperatures just above freezing point. As a result, the spring bloomers in yellow reliably show their flowers in February and March even in bad weather. As an early bloomer, the yellow winter cultivar is typically found in forests, but it also feels at home in the garden if you can offer it humus-rich soil at the edge or under the canopy of a deciduous tree. But not only people are enthusiastic about the uncomplicated winter cultivar - due to its early flowering and its good supply of nectar and pollen, the early bloomer is also of great importance for bees.
11. Clematis
Among the early bloomers, the clematis (Clematis), also known as clematis, is one of the latest bloomers: Early clematis species and cultivars such as Alpine clematis 'Pamela Jackman' (Clematis alpina 'Pamela Jackman') or the large-flowered clematis (Clematis macropetala) already bear in sunny and sheltered locations with permeable soil from April their flowers. The early bloomer shines with purple and blue flowers that compete with each other. The early-blooming clematis not only attracts people's attention, but also magically attracts insects, because it is one of the bee-friendly early bloomers.
12. Pansies
It is a classic in the bed - the pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) with its colorful flowers should not be missing in any garden. In fact, in addition to blue, the spring bloomer can be found in almost every other shade of color from white to yellow to red, or even multicolored specimens. The early bloomers thrive in a sunny to partially shaded location with a loose, moist (but not wet) substrate, both in pots and in beds. Bees are the only ones who don't enjoy the brightly colored flowers of the pansy - unfortunately their nectaries are often stunted.
A little tip: Whether pansies are early bloomers is determined by the time of sowing. Pansies that are sown in February open their flowers from March and are therefore early bloomers. Plants that are sown in early summer, on the other hand, open their flowers as autumn flowersonly in October and November.
13. Cowslip
From March to May we are enchanted by an early bloomer with yellow flowers - of course we mean cowslip (Primula veris). The tiny yellow flowers of the spring flower fascinate with a wonderful fragrance and attract not only people but also butterflies, which reach the nectar easily with their long proboscis. The early-flowering perennial thrives ideally in sunny locations, preferring humus-rich soil with a high lime content. Here the cowslip is very robust as an early bloomer and hardly needs any further care.
14. Iris
Not every iris (Iridodyctium) counts as an early bloomer, fortunately the reticulated iris (Iris reticulata) does:From February the blue early bloomer delights us with its pretty flowers. The winter iris (Iris danfordiae) enriches us as early as from March with its yellow flowers and is therefore an early flowering iris. Both species prefer a sunny location with well-drained, summer-dry soil to develop their full potential. In addition, both iris species are considered to be extremely bee-friendly early bloomers, since they serve as a food source early in the year.
15. Daffodil
Among the types of early bloomers, we must not forget the daffodils (Narcissus), after all they are one of the most popular spring plants. The yellow spring flowers can be found in almost every garden - no wonder, after all they not only impress with their bright yellow flowers from February to May, but also do wonderfully well in a sunny spot with average garden soil . Insects also like the plants very much, because their early flowering and their good nectar and pollen value makes the narcissus extremely attractive to bees as an early bloomer.
Tip: If you want to plant early bloomers in pots, it is best to use loose potting soil with extra phosphate. For example, our peat-free and climate-friendly Plantura organic potting soil is ideal for early bloomers in pots.
Not only among the flowers there are early bloomers - which shrubs and trees are already onIn our article on early-flowering shrubs, we tell you when their flowers open at the beginning of the year.