There are many bulbous plants that are truly rustic and capable of withstanding frost and even snowfall. Therefore, if the winters in your area are very hard, you do not have to worry, because even with those conditions you will be able to grow an interesting variety of species in the garden, or if you prefer it in pots.
And it is that enjoying these flowers in temperate climates is not a complicated task. You just have to choose the cold-resistant bulbous well so that no problems arise in the future.
Saffron (Crocus sativus)
El saffron It is a bulbous native to southwestern Asia, and is known to have been cultivated in Ancient Egypt, and later in classical Greece and Rome. The plant itself is small: it has a bulb of about 2 centimeters, and linear green leaves that do not exceed four inches in height. The flower is lilac, and has a diameter of about 5 centimeters. Its stigmas are red, and are used as a spice. It blooms in spring, and resists up to -18ºC.
Cove 'Crowborough' (Zantedeschia aethiopica cv Crowborough)
Image - Flickr / manuel mv
The calla is not a bulbous plant, but a rhizomatous one, but when the time to plant it in the garden or in a pot approaches - in autumn or winter - the rhizome is sold as if it were a bulb. That is why it is on this list. And it is that you only have to bury the rhizome a little so that its leaves and its precious flowers sprout. It can measure up to 1 meter in height, and has a white inflorescence. It is native to South Africa, although the cultivar 'Crowborough' withstands cold and frosts down to -20ºC.
Snowdrop (galanthus nivalis)
La snowdrop It is a plant native to Europe and Western Asia that reaches a height of about 30 centimeters at most, and that produces very small, about 2 centimeters, and white flowers. It blooms during the spring, once the snow has melted. Resists up to -20ºC.
Convalaria (Convallaria majalis)
The convalaria, also known as lily of the valley, is not really a bulbous one, but a plant that multiplies by dividing the rhizome. But we wanted to include it in the list because sometimes in nurseries it is for sale together with seasonal bulbs. It is a native European herb that reaches a height of up to 30 centimeters, and has 1-2 green leaves 25 centimeters long. The flowers look like snowdrops, are white, and bloom in spring. It resists without problems the frosts of until the -20ºC.
Dahlia (Dahlia)
All the dahlias They are tuberous plants native to Mexico that are planted in late winter or spring. It grows to a height of about 30 centimeters, although there are cultivars that exceed one meter. The flowers sprout in spring and summer, and can be of a multitude of colors and shapes: pink, white, orange, yellow; with numerous petals or only with a crown, and so on. What's more, resist up to -7ºC.
Freesia (Fressia x hybrida)
All the freesia They are bulbous in autumn, that is, they are planted in that season and bloom in late winter or early spring. But that name, bulbous, is not entirely accurate, because it does not have a bulb, but a corm (it is a thickened stem with vertical growth). The genus is of plants native to Africa, and is characterized by having green and lanceolate leaves, and very fragrant white, yellow, pink, or red flowers of about 2-3 centimeters. Resists frost down to -7ºC.
Gladiolus (Gladiolus imbricatus)
Image - Wikimedia / Christer Johansson
Gladioli are often thought to be very sensitive to low temperatures, but there are some species that can surprise you a lot, such as G. imbricatus. This is native to Europe and Turkey, and grows to reach 40 centimeters in height. The bulb is planted in spring, and a few months later, in summer, it produces pink flowers. The best is that resists frost down to -18ºC.
Hyacinthella pallasiana
Image - Wikimedia / Пономарьова Алевтина
La Hyacinthella pallasiana It is a bulbous native to Ukraine that is closely related to hyacinths. It has green, tapered leaves and bluish-lilac flowers very similar to those of the Hyacinthus. It is approximately 30 inches tall, and like them, it is also at rest in summer and fall. Tolerates frosts down to -25ºC.
Hyacinth (Oriental hyacinth)
El hyacinth It is a plant native to the Mediterranean region and southern Africa widely used in gardening. It blooms in spring, after the leaves have sprouted, and it does so by producing a stem with multiple lilac flowers. It reaches 30 centimeters in height, and withstands low temperatures without being damaged. In fact, resists up to -18ºC.
Narcissus (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
El narcissus It is a bulbous native to central and northern Europe that sprouts in late winter and blooms in spring, then goes into dormancy. Its linear, dark green leaves are 40 centimeters long. Its yellow flowers, about 2 centimeters in diameter, and fragrant. It is a plant that combines very well with other bulbous plants of a similar size, such as hyacinths. What's more, it is able to resist frosts down to -20ºC.
Which of these cold hardy bulbous plants did you like the most?