The vision of crocuses or tulips mysteriously disappearing in spring might scare a gardener away from planting bulbs but there are many bulbs that rabbits disdain. Some, like winter aconites, are very early, others like Spanish bluebells, come later so by carefully choosing you can have flowers all spring. The most variety is offered by daffodils but the bright blue of grape hyacinths, or soft pink of Spanish bluebells have a lot to offer. All bulbs listed here need well-drained soil to avoid rot in the winter and like full sun to partial shade. There are no guaranteed rabbit resistant plants but the ones described below have long been on noted to go uneaten under normal circumstances.
Winter Aconite (Eranthus hyemalis)
The common name, winter aconite, lets you know that this bulb can start blooming in winter to start the spring floral display that is to follow. The leaves are palmately divided into three to five lobes and carried on long petioles. The flowers are one to two inches across and subtended by large bracts.
Height: 3-6”
Flower Color: Yellow
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Humusy, consistently moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 3-7
Common Snow Drop (Galanthus nivalis)
One of the earliest bulbs to bloom, snow drops have nodding, one inch long white flowers accented with green. A yellow accented variety and double forms are available.
Height: 5-8
Flower Color: White accented with green
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Humusy, moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 3-7
Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae)
A native of Turkey, this early blooming bulb resembles Scilla but differs by the fusion of the petals and sepals at their base. The linear leaves are followed by scapes carrying three to five flowers. Each blue flower is about one inch wide and has a large white center. White and pinkish varieties are also available.
Height: 4-6”
Flower Color: Blue with white eye
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica)
Three to four strap-like leaves six inches long and ½ inch wide are joined by three to four flowering stems bearing one to six nodding blue flowers. A white variety is available.
Height: 3-6”
Flower Color: Deep blue
Light: Filtered sunlight
Soil: humusy, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Daffodils (Narcissus)
There are many kinds of daffodils offering differences in height, bloom time, form, and color so there are some that will appeal to everyone. All are rabbit resistant so the choices are wide open and you can vary the look and extend the display to go with other spring blooming plants. Daffodils flowers may be single or double and have trumpets that are large, small, or split. They may be fragrant, have reflexed petals, and combine orange or pink with yellow or white. There are daffodils with huge flowers, and daffodils with small delicate ones; some start blooming in April, others in May so you can have daffodils blooming for two months by selecting different kinds. Best of all, many daffodils naturalize so you can enjoy them in every increasing numbers for years.
Height: 5-20” depending on the variety
Flower Color: Yellow or white with white, yellow, pink, or orange trumpet depending on the variety
Light: Full sun to light shade
Soil: Humusy, well-drained, slightly acid
Hardiness: Zones 3-10 depending on the variety
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)
The grass-like leaves up to twelve inches long appear in the fall and are followed in spring by densely packed spikes of twenty to forty urn-shaped blue flowers ¼ inch long. Other Muscari species are available with pink, white, yellow or bicolor flowers.
Height: 6-8”
Flower Color: Cobalt blue
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, moderately moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica)
Also known as wood hyacinth and formally put in the genus Scilla, Spanish bluebell blooms towards the end of spring. The leaves are strap-shaped and produced in clumps of two to six. Racemes up to eighteen inches long carry twelve to eighteen, nodding, bluish-lavender, bell-shaped flowers. Pink and white flowered varieties are also available.
Height: 8-18”
Flower Color: Blue, pink, white
Light:Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 3-8