After all the dreary browns and grays of winter, is there anything more exciting than the vibrant colors of spring blooms? Get ready to watch a dazzling kaleidoscope show as annuals, perennials, and shrubs show off their finest blossoms in early spring. While Mother Nature is more fickle than we’d all like in March and April, many early bloomers are tough and can handle a frost or two—or even a freakishly late spring snowstorm! Some spring-flowering plants, such as grape hyacinths, have be planted in the fall to bloom the following spring, but many others can be planted as spring dawns.
Before you purchase them, though, read the plant tag or description and make sure you can provide them the right conditions. Full sun, for example, requires at least six hours of direct sunlight per day, while part sun is about half that. Shade plants, on the other hand, should be in an area that doesn’t get any direct sunlight. Be sure to pay attention to the mature size of plants on the tag too. Even a tiny 6-inch plant will eventually grow, so it needs plenty of space to spread. You wouldn’t want it to crowd your other plantings or need to be moved. Also keep in mind that shrubs or perennials, which come back every year, must be suited to survive winters in your region (check your USDA Hardiness zone).
And now for some of the best early spring flowers for bees and your garden—complete with names, descriptions, and images.
1. Snowdrop
Also called galanthus, these bulbs must be planted in the fall for an early springtime show, often appearing when snow is still on the ground in northern climates (thus the name!). Their pretty drooping white and green flowers do best in rich soils. Part shade to shade.
2. Pansy and Viola
These charming annuals come in every shade of the rainbow, and their tiny “faces” are adorable. Plant violas and pansies in pots, baskets, and window boxes to brighten your early spring garden. Some types rebound in the fall or drop seeds to pop up again on their own next spring. Full sun.
3. Sweet Alyssum
This tiny—but mighty—annual is sweetly scented and a favorite of pollinators. Layer sweet alyssum with spring bulbs or other more upright flowers that tolerate the cold, such as snapdragons. Alyssum blooms best in cooler temperatures. If it starts to get shaggy in the heat of summer, trim it back and it should rebound as temps cool down again. Full sun to part shade.
4. Creeping Phlox
Low hanging, fragrant, and perfect for ground cover, these cute flowers grow in purple, blue, and pink hues. They also draw pollinators like butterflies to gardens. Plant them in areas with full sunlight or partial shade.
5. Pussy Willow
This shrub is one of the first signs of spring, breaking bud in late winter to early spring. Like all willows, they prefer wet areas. The fuzzy “catkins” that appear on the naked branches make cheery long-lasting cut stems for vases. Sun to part shade.
6. Foxglove
These tube shaped biennials are available in a range of colors—from hues of purple to yellow and red to white. They grow well in conditions with full sunlight and partial shade. Keep it away from children and pets since all parts of the flower are toxic when consumed.
7. Flowering Quince
This beautiful shrub is one of the first to bloom in spring in shades of pink, red, or peach. It works well as a border planting. Newer varieties are thornless so they’re easier to handle. Full sun.
8. Forget-Me-Not
Add these easy-to-grow flowers to your seasonal gardening plans. These deer-resistant blossoms come in a variety of shades—from blue and pink to white and purple. It’s typically planted in the late fall to get early spring blooms and thrive better under cooler climates.
9. Heather
This perennial flowering shrub is also known as Calluna vulgaris and Scotch Heather. It great for ground cover, sn 18-inches in height and typically grows up to 18-inches in height in shades of purple, pink, and white.
10. Daffodil
Every spring garden needs these sunny yellow blooms! They come in sizes ranging from six inches to two feet tall, and they bloom at different times from early to late spring. Plant in fall for spring blooms next year and for many seasons afterward. Group bulbs together in bunches for the most dramatic effect instead of planting single bulbs. Full sun.
11. Daphne Shrub
This lesser-known sweetly fragrant shrub is a real charmer in the springtime landscape in southern climates. Daphne shrubs bloom in late winter to early spring. Many species are evergreen, and most maintain a nice, rounded shape with little care. Full sun, with afternoon shade in hot climates.
12. Columbine
These hardy perennials attract hummingbirds and come in shades of blue, purple, violet, pink, red, yellow, white, and orange. The clover shaped blossoms need direct sunlight and well-drained soil to thrive.
13. Deciduous Magnolia
These early spring bloomers have gorgeous, almost unreal-looking blossoms. There are many different types of magnolias, some which are evergreen and some which are deciduous, which means they shed their leaves. Many deciduous types of magnolias bloom before they’ve even leafed out again. Because there are so many different types, make sure to select one that’s suited to your USDA Hardiness zone. Full sun to part shade.
14. Wallflower
Wallflowers come in almost every color of the rainbow and have a lovely fragrance. Plant them right after the last expected frost date. They’re considered short-lived perennials, lasting just a season or so. Wallflowers have even been known to thrive growing between the mortar in stone walls (thus, their name!). Full sun to part shade.
15. Lily of the Valley
The white and sometimes pink colored flowers (also known as May Bells and Mary’s Tears) provide useful ground cover, grow 6 to 12 inches tall, and emit a sweet fragrance. Plant them with care because they spread aggressively.
16. Grape Hyacinth
The delicate grape-scented blooms, also called muscari, top out at four to six inches tall, so they look great in rock gardens or along the front of beds. Plant them in the fall for spring blooms next year. They naturalize readily, so every year you’ll have more of these dainty little flowers. Full sun to part sun.
17. Diascia
The tiny open-faced blooms of this lesser-known cool season annual come in pleasing springtime shades of pink, peach, and white. Plant them with other spring bloomers in pots or as a ground cover. They fade when it gets hot. Full sun to part shade.
18. Winter Jasmine
Winter jasmine is a low-maintenance shrub with arching branches that are loaded with bright yellow flowers in late winter to early spring. It may bloom as early as February in some climates. It’s not fragrant, but it adds willowy elegance to the landscape. Full sun.
19. Starflower
These petite blue or white star-shaped flowers, also called ipheion, were popular in heirloom colonial gardens. Its flowers have a sweet scent. Plant these tiny bulbs in the fall for spring blooms. Full sun.
20. Fritillaria
Bell-shaped flowers come in deep shades of purple, pink, white, and red (or checkered!) on this lesser-known spring charmer. Plant fritallaria in the fall for dramatic blooms next spring. Full sun.
21. Primrose
These delicate flowers are some of the earliest perennials to bloom in spring. Primroses are super-tough, with many types hardy to USDA zone 3! With hundreds of types, read the label to make sure it’s a variety that will survive your winters. Part sun.
22. Crocus
Small but mighty, vibrant crocus flowers come with a sweet fragrance and rich pollen that will lure nearby bees. These bulbs also multiply each year, adding more and more blooms in Eastery purple, lavender, blue, orange, yellow, cream and white. Part sun to full sun.
23. Sweet Pea
From rich purples to creamy white hues, these honey fragranced flowers are a dazzling variety. Generally, the flowers grow three to seven feet near fences, walls, and on trellises. They are poisonous if ingested by dogs, so avoid planting them is you have furry friends.
24. Winter Aconite
Known for being the one of the earliest risers, don’t be surprised to find winter aconite come up through snow and frost, eager to show off its butter-cup-shaped blooms. Be sure to plant these tubers by fall so they can greet you as winter begins its exit. Full sun or part shade.
25. Hellebore
As its nickname, Lenten Rose, indicates, hellebores make their appearance around Lent, the Christian season leading up to Easter. Fragrant and long-lasting, they range in color from pink to white to black. While delightful to the eye, they are poisonous for children and pets, and keep deer and other pests away. Part shade.
26. Snapdragon
These pleasantly fragrant perennial plants are called by many names—snapdragons, dragon flowers, and dog flower. They’re available in a wide range of colors, handle frost well, and can be planted late in the winter.
27. Lungwort
Add these blue and purple hued flowers to shady areas of your garden that hold moisture well. Often, the leaves of these pretty blossoms have spots and resemble the shape of lungs. The perennial is often called Bethlehem sage, spotted dog, and Jerusalem cowslip.
28. Bloodroot
These solitary blooms like to pop up in wooded areas. While their petals are white in hue, they get their name from the dark reddish-orange sap in their stems and roots. They like to grow up to 10 inches tall with a leaf that can be up to 8 inches, so save plenty of room for them. Part shade.
29. Tulip
These bell-shaped, symmetrical showstoppers come in any color, shape, and size you can think of and make for a pretty landscape no matter how many you have in a flower bed. Be sure to get their bulbs in the ground by fall to enjoy them come spring. Sun or part shade.
30. Iris
This tall and elegant flower variety is named after the Greek goddess of rainbow—Iris. These six-petaled beauties can grow up to three feet in height and thrive in full sun (6 to 8 hours) settings.