Best Spring Bulbs for Hawaii

A bag of tulip bulbs on a garden-center shelf promises spring color, but lowland Hawaii never gets the winter cold those bulbs are built around. The bulbs that do well in island yards are the ones that bloom without a chill, plus a few that can be given their cold in a refrigerator.

Best Spring Bulbs to Grow in Hawaii

Bulbs that need no winter chill are the ones that hold up here, because no freeze occurs where people garden. Polyanthus narcissi, Chinese sacred lily, Pearl White lily, Grand soleil d’or and alliums fit the climate. Tulips and the true daffodil ask for a cold rest the lowlands cannot give.

Paper White Narcissi

Paper white belongs to the polyanthus narcissi, a group that copes with winters too mild for tulips. It is a sound first choice for a frost-free yard, since it flowers without a long cold rest.

Pick firm bulbs and plant them as soon as you have them, in soil that drains freely.

Chinese Sacred Lily

Chinese sacred lily is another polyanthus narcissus, and it does well where tulips would sulk. Warm winters suit it, so it needs no refrigerator stop before planting.

Group several bulbs together so the display reads as a clump rather than scattered singles.

Pearl White Lily

Pearl White lily is named among the bulbs that thrive in warm-winter gardens. Like the other polyanthus types, it blooms without being chilled first.

Give it a spot where water does not stand after heavy rain.

Grand Soleil d’Or

Grand soleil d’or brings yellow to the same group of reliable warm-climate narcissi. It earns its place by flowering without the cold period that most spring bulbs demand.

Plant it beside paper whites for a mix of white and gold.

Alliums

According to Iowa State University Extension, alliums, the ornamental onions, need the cold of winter to bloom. That makes them one of the easiest bulbs to grow here when you want height in a bed.

Plant them in a sunny, well-drained spot and leave the foliage alone after the flowers fade.

Tulips and Hyacinths

Most spring-flowering bulbs need about 12 to 16 weeks of cold to flower. Where winters are too mild, tulips and hyacinths are chilled in the refrigerator before planting.

Even then, tulips tend to be short-lived in the garden, so treat them as a seasonal splurge. The true daffodil is a poor match, because little success can be expected with it in warm winters.

How to Choose Spring Bulbs for Your Hawaii Garden

Start from what your yard cannot do. Without a freeze, the choice comes down to whether a bulb needs cold at all, and how much effort you will spend supplying it.

Rainfall, elevation and whether your slope faces the wind decide more than any frost date, since there is no frost season at the elevations where people garden.

Gardeners with a very cold winter to plan around will not find that situation in the lowlands, so no row is needed for it. Squirrels, rabbits, voles and deer go after tulips and crocus, which is one more reason to lean on the narcissus family.

Which Spring Bulbs Suit Different Parts of Hawaii

Exposure and elevation change the picture more than latitude does, and each part of the state pulls the choice in a slightly different direction.

• Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala summits: frost occurs only here, so cold-hungry bulbs get a natural rest. Few people garden at these heights, so this rarely matters for a home yard.
• Hilo and other windward coasts: frequent rain makes drainage the deciding factor. Choose bulbs for raised beds or sloping ground that sheds water.
• Kona and other leeward coasts: drier conditions suit alliums and the warm-winter narcissi. Water them regularly while they are growing.

Across the islands, the USDA hardiness zone system, which rests on the average annual extreme minimum temperature, runs from 9a to 13a, so match the bulb to your own spot rather than to the whole state.

Spring Bulb Buying Mistakes to Avoid in Hawaii

Planting Unchilled Tulips

Tulips need a cool dormancy, and a frost-free winter does not provide one. Bulbs dropped straight into warm soil tend to produce weak growth or none at all, so the money is wasted.

If you want tulips anyway, chill them in the refrigerator first, and expect them to last only a season or so.

Counting on True Daffodils

A catalog photo of classic yellow daffodils is tempting, but the true daffodil rarely succeeds in warm winters. The bulbs may bloom poorly or fade within a year.

Choose paper white, Chinese sacred lily, Pearl White lily or Grand soleil d’or for the same spring-bulb look with a better chance of flowers.

Storing Bulbs Over the Winter

A bulb left in its bag loses ground to one that is in the soil and rooting. Holding bulbs back for a perfect moment costs them stored energy.

Plant any bulb you still have as long as the ground can be dug, and water it in.

Where to Get Spring Bulb Advice in Hawaii

Island conditions vary a lot from one valley to the next. Local help can tell you what has worked in your own neighborhood.

• The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources extension service at the University of Hawaii publishes growing guidance for island gardeners, so check it before you buy bulbs.
• Your county extension office can answer questions about rainfall and soil in your part of the island, and a call before planting saves guesswork.

Common Questions

When Should You Plant Spring Bulbs in Hawaii?

There is no frost calendar to follow in the lowlands. Plant narcissi and alliums once the soil has cooled in fall, and put chilled tulips and hyacinths in right after their refrigerator time.

What Should You Do with the Leaves After the Flowers Fade?

Remove only the spent flowers and leave the leaves on the plant until they turn brown. They feed the bulb for next year.

Will Animals Eat Spring Bulbs in Hawaii?

Voles, squirrels, rabbits and deer eat tulips and crocus, while daffodils are left alone. Where such animals visit your yard, narcissi are the safer pick.