What Exactly Is a Garden Bulb?
We often use the term ‘bulb’ to describe garden plants, but there is some confusion over which plants are true bulbs.
True bulbs are composed of a basal plate (which is actually a compressed stem) and scales which enclose the new stem or stems. There may be anywhere from two to dozens of scales, all of which will be fleshy. Often there will also be a dry tunic surrounding the scales. This is formed from the scales of previous year’s growth and helps prevent bulbs from drying out too much when they’re dormant.
With some bulbous plants, such as daffodils, the bulb survives for many years. With others, such as tulips, the bulb shrivels away each year and is replaced by a new one. Often bulbous plants will increase naturally in numbers by producing daughter bulbs. These will need to grow on for one or more years before they reach flowering size.
When you buy bulbs, the embryonic new stem with its flower bud will already be formed inside the bulb, so the plants are almost guaranteed to flower in the first year. After that they may gradually weaken and die away, or might come back bigger and better…
