These bulbs are not typically favored by deer

Q: Last fall I spent lots of time and money planting tulip bulbs that ended up getting eaten by deer. Are there other spring-flowering bulbs I can plant that the deer don’t like to eat?

A: While tulip buds and blossoms tend to be a favorite deer snack, the good news is that there are plenty of other bulbs they don’t usually bother.

Early-blooming bulbs such as snow drops, crocus, reticulated iris and winter aconite are welcome signs that spring is on the way. Glory of the snow, squill, hyacinth and a wide array of daffodil cultivars offer a range of colors, flower shapes, heights and bloom times for mid-spring color.

Fall-planted bulbs typically safe from deer that flower later in the season include camas (also called wild hyacinth), fritillaries, Spanish bluebells and ornamental onions, some of which bloom in the summer.

With so many options, you should be able to enjoy plenty of color early in the season before perennials and annuals color the landscape. For more flowering bulb ideas and information about the plants mentioned, search the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plant Finder database at missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx.