A List of Spring Flowers

Iris

• These showy flowers are a sure sign that spring has arrived. They grow in temperate climates and varied landscapes, from grassy plains to mountain slopes. They grow from either rhizomes or bulbs and have long foliage with a thin blue, purple, yellow or white petals. They are a low maintenance flower that do best when they are planted in sunny spots with well-drained soil. Their scientific name is also Iris.

Hyacinths

• These flowers come from the genus Hycainthus and are named for Hyakinthos of Greek mythology and are native to the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Middle East. The majority of Hyacinths are cultivated. These highly fragrant flowers grow from a bulb and produce bell-shaped blooms in come in an array of colors---white, purple, pink, yellow, orange, red and blue---that grow in a spike formation, about six to 12 inches long. Like the iris, hyacinths are perennials that thrive in well-drained soil that is exposed to the sun. Varieties of hyacinths include single, double and multiflora.

Tulips

• Though commonly associated with Holland, these flowers are native to central Asia and are a popular Dutch-cultivated flower. They are a bulbous plant from the genus Tulipa. A single flower grows on a stem that varies in height from four to 27 inches tall that has two fleshy green leaves at the base. The bloom is cup-shaped, typically with three petals that come in several colors, including white, red, pink, purple and yellow. These flowers do best in temperate climates, as their bulbs need a cold climate to be dormant in, and the blooms thrive in cool spring weather.

Peonies

• Peonies are a perennial flower that come from the genus Paeonia, and are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America. Cultivated peonies do well in temperate climates. There are two types of peonies. The herbaceous peony grows on a stem with numerous leaves and reaches heights of two to four feet. Tree peonies grow on shrubs with woody stems and can grow to be five feet or taller. Both varieties produce large blooms of white, yellow, pink or red. They do best in full sun, but can stand partial shade.