Identification

• A spring flowering plant refers to one that blooms early in the season with blooms gradually declining to an end as the cooler nights of spring give way to more temperature nights of approaching summer. A summer flowering plant refers to one that requires milder weather, often specifically warmer nights, to set flowers. Summer flowering plants generally remain in bloom during the hottest part of the season. However, there are numerous exceptions to this narrow categorization.
  
  

Features

• Utilizing a broad outline to determine the difference between spring and summer flowering plants, many home gardeners separate the two by highlighting the features of annuals and perennials. For example, many perennials, (plants which live for three or more years) display exuberant spring growth, flower early in the season, then stop before summer begins. Contrastingly, annuals, (plants which complete their life cycle in one year), often flower in late spring to early summer and bloom until frost and are thus considered summer flowering plants.
  
  

Significance

• Bloom time plays a significant role in the gardener's choice of planting location for specific plants. An area that contains only annuals will appear bare in the off-season, whereas perennial beds with all spring flowering plants will vary little in color throughout the summer growing season, depending solely on foliage for aesthetic appeal. Interspersing annuals along with perennials in the garden area, guided by preplanned planting schemes is a common practice among home gardeners to reap the rewards of both spring flowering and summer flowering plants.
  
  

Types

• There are bulbous plants that bloom in every season. Still, in North America, bulbs and perennials make up the majority of the first flowers of spring. The popular tulip, a bulbous member of the lily family, is a true spring flowering plant in North America. Tulips, along with members of the Narcissus genus, the daffodils, in many instances display the first shows of color in the home garden. Several members of the iris family, including the popular crocus, are also early bloomers.
  
  

Considerations

• The climate of the region plays a crucial role in determining what are spring flowering and summer flowering plants. The home gardener also takes into consideration the fact that annuals in one climate may be perennials in another. Fortunately, commercial growers and seed manufacturers use a large body of established research to label their products prior to marketing. Thus, knowing what season a particular plant will flower in in its climate takes minimal effort on the part of the home gardener.