Which Spring Bulbs Bloom First? A UK Flowering Order Guide

Worried about your garden looking bare in January? Look closer. The first spring bulbs to bloom are already in action. Snowdrops are usually already through the soil, and for most UK gardens, they're the first of the bulbs that flower in spring to open. From there, the season builds in a fairly predictable order. Other early flowering bulbs follow within weeks. Daffodils and hyacinths carry March into April, then tulips, bluebells and alliums close things out by early summer.

Many spring bulbs are sold as mixed collections as well as individually. That makes it easier to put the whole sequence together, rather than buying each type separately.

This guide lays out that order for UK gardens and discusses how to plan planting before the arrival of spring, so the display runs from January right through to June.

Key Takeaways

• Snowdrops open the season and often bloom in January, sometimes as early as December in sheltered, mild parts of the UK.
  
  
• Crocus and iris reticulata are the next bulbs that flower in February.
  
  
• Daffodils, muscari and hyacinths add more life and colour to UK gardens in March and April.
  
  
• Tulips, bluebells and alliums carry the display right through to June.
  
  
• Autumn planting sets up the entire sequence. Most spring flowering bulbs go in the soil between September and November.

Understanding the Spring Bulb Flowering Cycle

As you move from one year to the next, the flowering order of spring bulbs generally remains steady across the UK. If the winter hits particularly hard, it can push everything back by a couple of weeks. A milder one can bring it forward. Most bulbs are planted the previous autumn. They need a spell of cold weather before they're ready to flower. That's part of why the growing season for spring flowering bulbs holds steady every year.

One thing worth knowing: not everything in the table below is technically a true "bulb." Crocus grows from a corm rather than a true bulb. Dahlias, which flower much later in the year, grow from a tuber. Still, gardeners tend to group all of these together under "bulbs" because they're planted, cared for and sold in much the same way.

This table shows the sequence in which UK gardeners can generally expect spring bulbs to bloom, from first to last.

Treat this as a guide rather than a fixed rule. Not every garden will have identical timing. Factors like which way a border faces, the soil, and shelter also play a part. For example, a south-facing border against a wall can run a week or two ahead of an open spot that faces north. Gardens further up north, or those at higher altitudes, can see delayed developments across the board. None of these changes the flowering order itself. It just affects how quickly each stage arrives.

In the following sections, we have discussed the flowering timeline in more detail.

The First Bulbs to Flower Each Year

Snowdrops are the first to appear. These bulbs push up through frozen or snow-covered ground before anything else in the garden has stirred. Winter aconite, iris reticulata, and crocus come next, stretching the flowering into late winter.

• Snowdrops: the first spring flower for most UK gardens. They open from January, sometimes late December in a sheltered spot.
  
  
• Iris reticulata: these are compact, jewel-toned flowers that bloom and liven up gardens from February to March.
  
  
• Crocus: next in line, crocus often starts flowering from February.

Among many gardeners, these early flowering bulbs are selected specifically for early colour, well before anything else in the border wakes up.

Bulbs That Flower Through the Middle of Spring

By March, the display picks up pace as daffodils take over from the earlier spring flowering bulbs.

• Daffodils (Narcissus): the classic spring flower. It has a wide flowering window. Some varieties flower in early January, but most peak in March and April. Heights and flower sizes vary a lot between varieties; compact dwarf types usually stay under 15cm while taller trumpet daffodils reach over 30cm.
  
  
• Muscari (grape hyacinth): these are small blue drifts that flower for three to four weeks between March and May. They're low growing, which makes them useful at the front of a border or along a path edge.
  
  
• Hyacinth: these heavily scented flowers bloom from March to April and are best suited for sheltered spots with adequate sunlight. Their strong scent is more noticeable outdoors in a still, sheltered corner than in an open, windy one.

For borders, consider pairing daffodils with muscari or hyacinth. They're different heights but share a flowering window, so the colour builds instead of one block finishing before the next begins.

The Last Spring Flowering Bulbs to Bloom

Tulips, bluebells, camassias, and alliums carry the display into late spring and early summer.

• Tulips: they bring the widest variety of colours of any spring bulb. Depending on the variety, these bulbs bloom from March to May. This means you can stretch tulip flowering across most of that window rather than getting a few short weeks of colour.
  
  
• Bluebells: this woodland favourite flowers from April to May. Bluebells sit happiest in shade under trees, where they'll often spread and thicken over a few years.
  
  
• Camassias: these star-shaped flowers have tall spikes and bridge spring and summer, blooming between April and June.
  
  
• Alliums: the season's finale, so to speak. They flower from May to June, with some varieties continuing later. Their round flower heads hold their shape well even after the colour fades, so they're often left in place for structure.

By the time the alliums finish, the garden hands over to summer perennials. This late stretch of bulbs that flower in spring is what carries a border from April right through to midsummer.

How to Get a Longer Spring Flowering Season

Planting bulbs isn't complicated. Here are eight small habits that make a significant difference to how well they perform in your lawn or garden.

1. Plant spring flowering bulbs in the autumn. Most need a spell of cold weather to flower well, so plant within the September to November window.
   
   
2. Buy healthy bulbs, not just big ones. Look for firm bulbs with no soft spots or mould, and plant them as soon as you can after buying.
   
   
3. Plant at the right depth. A safe rule of thumb is planting at roughly three times the bulb's height, with the pointed end facing upwards.
   
   
4. Choose a sunny spot with good drainage. Most spring bulbs rot in waterlogged soil. Full sun and free-draining ground suit them best.
   
   
5. Group smaller bulbs generously. Snowdrops and muscari look better planted as a clump of 25 or more, rather than scattered as single bulbs.
   
   
6. Water thoroughly straight after planting. This helps bulbs to establish before the ground turns cold as winter sets in.
   
   
7. Let the foliage die back naturally. Once the flowers fade, leave the leaves until they turn yellow. This lets the bulb store the energy it needs for flowering next year instead of being cut short during seed production. This matters most for bigger bulbs such as daffodils or tulips.
   
   
8. Deadhead spent flowers where it's practical. On larger bulbs especially, removing the faded flower head stops energy going into seed instead of next year's display.

Most of the bulbs in this guide are hardy bulbs. They can stay in the ground all year without needing to be lifted and stored. They're also perennial, which means most spring bulbs return year after year naturally.

Plant Your Spring Bulb Display

A spring display gets planned in autumn. It's worth deciding which bulbs to plant now, rather than waiting until the good varieties have sold out. A border planted with a spread of flowers that bloom in spring, rather than just one or two types, delivers colour from January through to June instead of a couple of short bursts with lengthy gaps in between.

If you're planning a border with something that will flower from January through to June, have a look at our range of spring bulbs. Order your bulbs online in time for planting in autumn. Popular varieties sell out fast, so don't leave it too late. Browse the spring bulbs collection to see everything in stock.

If you'd like a hand choosing varieties for your garden, get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.

FAQs

What are the first bulbs to bloom in spring?

Snowdrops are usually the first bulbs to flower in spring, often opening in January and sometimes as early as December in mild, sheltered spots. Winter aconite and other early spring flowers follow closely behind, often within a few weeks. Together, these early flowering bulbs bring the first colour to a garden well before the main spring display gets going.

What is the earliest flower to bloom in spring?

Snowdrops are typically the earliest spring flower. A few non-bulb plants can flower even sooner in a mild winter, opening in December as the first flowers of spring, depending on certain conditions. For most UK gardens, though, snowdrops are the reliable sign that spring flowers are properly on their way.

Do daffodils or tulips bloom first?

Daffodils flower first. Most varieties open from March, with some early types appearing as soon as January, while tulips generally bloom from bulbs that flower in March to May. There's some overlap between daffodils and tulips, so planting both extends the spring bulbs UK display.

What is the first flower of April?

By April, several early spring bulbs are usually in flower at once, including daffodils, muscari and the earliest tulips. Which one opens first that month depends on the weather that particular spring and which varieties went in the previous autumn.

What flowers bloom the most in spring?

March and April tend to have the fullest display, because some of the earliest bulbs are often still finishing as daffodils, muscari and hyacinths open at the same time. This overlap is why many gardeners plant a mix of early, mid-season and later bulbs, so the display builds rather than falling off.

Which bulbs are best to plant now?

That depends on the time of year. Spring-flowering bulbs are selected and planted between September and November for flowers the following spring. Summer flowering bulbs go in the ground during spring once frost risk has passed. Check the planting time on the pack, because it varies between different varieties.