Names of Southern Heirloom Flower Bulbs

Lady Jane Tulip

• A Lady Jane tulip (Tulipa clusiana) is a pink and white bicolored flower with no scent. The plant reaches from 6 to 12 inches tall, with 1- to 2-inch blooms. The tulip should be planted in the fall and at a depth of two to three times the bulb's size at the time of planting. The Lady Jane tulip typically blooms sometime during March and needs full sun to grow properly.

Chinese Sacred Lily

• The Narcissus tazetta orientalis, or Chinese sacred lily, is a type of narcissus with white petals and an orange center. The lily has a citrus fragrance and can grow to about 10 inches tall. The blooms are quarter-sized and shoot up in clusters. The Chinese sacred lily should be planted in the fall and generally blooms in February; full sun is not necessary, as a half-day of winter sun is enough to sustain the plant.

Snowflakes

• Snowflakes, or Leucojum aestivum, are bell-shaped, downward facing flowers with no scent. The blooms are predominately white with green marks at the petal tips, and the bluish-green plant can reach about 14 inches tall. The snowflake bulb is planted in the fall and blooms as dime-sized flower clusters in February; the plant can survive in half-shade or full sun areas.

Grape Hyacinth

• Muscari neglectum, known as the grape hyacinth, is a plant with small purple or blue-tinted flowers and a faint grape fragrance. The plant itself grows as a mass of green shoots similar to a thick grass, reaching about 6 inches tall, with the flower stalks rising over the top of the growth. The blooms are spike-shaped and around 2 inches tall. The bulb for a grape hyacinth should be planted in fall, as the flowers bloom in March, and a half-day of winter sun is sufficient.