Bulbs to Plant in Fall

Fall is the perfect time to tuck bulbs and tubers into the soil for a show of spring and summer blooms. In New York’s native gardens, we have some remarkable native “bulb-type” plants that store energy underground and reemerge year after year—beautiful, resilient, and ecologically valuable.

Liatris.

Among true New York natives, Liatris species (Blazing Star or Gayfeather) are standouts. Technically grown from corms, they love full sun and well-drained soil. Their tall, feathery spikes bloom in midsummer and attract monarchs, swallowtails, and native bees in abundance. Another native bulb option, Allium cernuum, or Nodding Onion, thrives in dry to medium soils. Its graceful pink flowers nod politely in June breezes, feeding early pollinators and blending beautifully with summer perennials.

Native Iris for fall planting.

For wetter sites, Iris versicolor, the Blue Flag Iris, is an essential native choice. It flourishes along ponds and rain gardens, offering a burst of indigo color in late spring. In drier shade, Iris cristata, the Dwarf Crested Iris, carpets woodland edges with soft lavender blooms and spreads gently by rhizomes. Technically a rhizome can be considered an ancillary type of bulb.

A Tuber (not a bulb) to Plant in Fall.

Not a bulb but worth mentioning, the Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is a U.S. native sunflower with edible tubers. Plant it in an open sunny area—this vigorous grower can easily form a cheerful, tall colony by late summer, with bright yellow flowers that pollinators adore.

A Rare Naturalized Plant: the Daffodil Bulb.

Finally, while not native, Daffodils (Narcissus spp.) are naturalized throughout the Northeast and fit gracefully into ecologically sensitive gardens. They’re deer-resistant, cheerful, and one of the earliest harbingers of spring. Additionally, the Daffodil occupies a different part of the calendar than most native wildflowers. Basically this allows them to co-exist with a neat symmetry.  Only when the Daffodils have completed their life cycle do the native perennials even begin to wake up.

Plant these bulbs and tubers in autumn before the ground freezes, ideally by around Thanksgiving in upstate New York. They’ll rest underground all winter, then reward you with color, fragrance, and the first signs of life next year—an effortless way to celebrate the turning of the seasons and nurture the native landscape.