Bulbs for Early Shade

[David Shaw]

The plot shown in these pictures is on the north side of a conifer hedge. In summer it is our arisaema and lilium bed and looks great. In winter the sun never touches the area between the path and the hedge from October to March. At the moment the plot is pretty bare in mid winter and we want to get some winter colour into it.
 I am thinking bulbs so that the foliage has died back before the summer season comes in. Galanthus is likely to be the main genus and Eranthis will help to break the white colour.
Can anyone suggest bulbs that will flower between December and March (say snowdrop season for those who's snowdrops do not come out until April). The site gets no sun but has a clear view of the sky overhead and the snow and frost tend to linger a little longer.

[annew]

The obvious choice would be Cyclamen coum which should suit your site. I have Puschkinia (?) doing well under a weeping willow, and some of my crocus do OK under there too.

[Michael J Campbell]

Can anyone suggest bulbs that will flower between December and March

Cyclamen coum would be perfect,I have a similar site filled with them and it works perfect.

[Paul T]

I'd add to that Cyclamen hederifolium..... no leaves while the Arisaemas or Liliums are in flower, then as the Liliums finish there'll be a mass of flowers amongst the stems, adding colour low down, then the leaves will emerge to give you "colour" during winter.  If you choose the right varieties as well (e.g silver leaf forms or something like that) you could get a really good display just from the leaves, then the coum will burst through into flower as well.

Other possibilities would be the autumn species of Crocus, although only some of them would tolerate "no" sun.  I guess it depends how much light is in there while they're in growth.  Even Trillium rivale or some of the early types, to give you some colour before the Arisaema etc?

[gote]

The obvious choise for me is woodland Corydalis I.e. solida cultivars, bracteata (selfsterile) malkensis (oops white) The east Asian blues are later.
Corydalis solida 'Munich Sunrise' is among the earliest pinks. I am in a hurry now so I cannot post any pictures.
Pulmonaria rubra 'Redstart' is also very early but in another size class.
Eranthis hiemalis goes very well too. and perhaps the little weed Ranunculus ficaria.
Scilla miczenkoana is also very early and will grow in shady positions.

Göte

[mark smyth]

The white Pushkinia will look good and the early Scilla mischtschenkoana. Anenome blanda 'White Splendour", Hyacinthoides

[David Shaw]

Thanks for all the suggestions. There is plenty to go on here.
I hadn't particularly thought of cyclamen but sowed some garden seed a couple of years ago and these can go out this year. Another advantage of the Scillas mentioned is that visitors will soon learn to stop asking what they are called!

[Thomas Huber]

Sorry David, I've missed to read this thread!
You could try Crocus tommasiniaus, banaticus, kotschyanus and speciosus, which tolerate shade very well in my garden.

Also some Hepatica's would look good!

[Diane Whitehead]

I have Cyclamen, Hepaticas, Erythronium dens-canis and Shortias
 in my Arisaema bed.  Most of these have handsome leaves as well
as flowers. 

Lilies have to go in the fenced vegetable garden to protect them from deer.