10 Best Spring Flowers

6/10

Lenten Rose

As soon as the snow melts, Lenten roses usher in the spring season. Their plump buds open to reveal two-inch-diameter, saucer-shaped flowers.

Single and double-flowered forms are available in shades of pink, purple, near-black, white and yellow. Each one is prettier than the next! Once you’ve experienced success growing your first Lenten rose, you’ll want to collect them all.

This evergreen perennial holds interest long past early summer when its flowers finish blooming. Handsome, umbrella-shaped leaves are evergreen, developing after bees pollinate the flowers. Because they’re toxic to mammals, deer and rabbits usually steer clear.

Lenten roses grow in Zones 4 through 9 in partial to full shade. They’re drought tolerant once established.

7/10

Primrose

Large, cheerful blossoms in every color of the rainbow decorate the tops of this short, mounding perennial beginning in early spring. That’s when you’ll find them sold as gift plants at florists and grocery stores. Or look for the longer-lived Belarina series of double-flowered, perennial primroses at garden centers.

Primroses grow beautifully in troughs, window boxes and at the front of the border in moist, well-drained soil. Their flowers are most vivid and long-lasting if you site them in some shade, because afternoon sun can be too harsh. Grow them nationwide in Zones 3 through 9.

8/10

Spring Phlox

One of the most amazing places to see spring phlox in full bloom is in the Rocky Mountains (Zones 4 through 8), where it blankets craggy outcroppings and scrambles down hillsides. Think of that when choosing the best location to grow spring phlox in your garden. Lean, well-drained soil and full sun are a must.

In gardens, spring phlox forms a brilliant pink, blue, purple or white flowering ground cover, bringing in the early bees and butterflies. It’s the perfect complement for tulips, daffodils and spring blooming trees. Altogether, they’re a sight for sore eyes after a long winter.