Bulbs

plants · underground · spring flowers

Underground pantry. A bulb is like a plant's hidden food storage container buried under the soil. It's made of fleshy leaves or leaf bases that are stuffed with nutrients the plant saved up to use later.

Survival stash. During cold winter months, plants store all their energy inside the bulb so they can rest safely underground. When spring arrives and the weather warms up, the bulb uses that stored food to grow new leaves and flowers.

Spring's superstars. Tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all bulb plants that gardeners love because they produce beautiful flowers year after year. You can even plant bulbs in your own garden in the fall and watch them surprise you with blooms in spring.

Built-in time clock. Bulbs actually keep track of how cold it gets during winter, and this cold period signals them when it's safe to wake up and grow. Without experiencing the cold, many bulbs won't flower at all, which is nature's smart way of preventing them from growing at the wrong time.