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What Ground Cover Goes Well With Bulbs?

Spring flowering bulbs, including daffodils (Narcissus spp.), tulips (Tulipa spp.), and hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis), create a colorful show in the spring garden. To guarantee future blooms, it is important to let the plants' foliage remain intact until it begins to brown, rather than removing it after the flowers have faded. Keep the garden tidy by camouflaging those leaves with sun or part shade ground covers. Nurseries and garden centers stock many plants that can be used in this way.

  1. Ground Cover Requirements

    • To cover ripening bulb foliage, ground covers need to be just a bit taller than the bulb plants they are supposed to camouflage. Plants such as Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, have large enough leaves to hide the foliage of large daffodils or tulips. Delicate epimediums (Epimedium spp.) may be better suited to covering the foliage of bulbs like snowdrops (Galanthus spp.) and crocus (Crocus spp.).

    Hellebores

    • Various types of hellebores, including Lenten rose, are evergreen or semi-evergreen, with relatively large, palmate leaves. When Lenten rose is interplanted with bulbs, those leaves cover the dying foliage and the long-lasting flowers provide added visual interest. Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, begins flowering in late winter and produces fresh new foliage at the same time, making it perfect for hiding the leaves of early-blooming bulbs. The hybrid Eric Smith hellebore (Helleborus x ericsmithii), hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, features attractive silvery-green toothed leaves.

    Daylilies

    • Daylilies (Hemerocallis), either deciduous or semi-evergreen, are a classic cover for spring bloomers, especially daffodils. The daylilies, especially early blooming varieties and species -- like fragrant lemon lilies (Hemerocallis flava, also known as Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 10 -- generally emerge from the ground when spring blooming plants are flowering. By the time the daffodil or tulip foliage is ripening, there are enough daylily leaves to cover it up. When choosing daylilies for ground cover, remember that the clumps generally increase in size over the years, making division necessary. This process may occasionally disturb some bulbs.

    Hardy Geraniums

    • Hardy geraniums (Geranium spp.) hide bulb foliage neatly. Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, features medium green, lobed leaves and produces small pink flowers in spring. The geranium spreads over time, but does not disturb bulbs. "Biokovo" hardy geranium (Geranium x cantabrigiense "Biokovo") flower stems are taller than those of bigroot geranium, but its leaves are more delicate. It bears pinkish-white flowers as it covers dying bulb foliage. Both hardy geraniums succeed in part shade as well as full sun and are a good cover for bulbs planted under deciduous trees.

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