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Uncommon Summer Bulbs

By Susan Morgan, HGTV.com
Move beyond your standard herbaceous perennials and take a look at these unusual bulbs for summer. In addition to just-plain looking good, bulbs are drought-tolerant; their underground storage organs can go dormant during hot, dry spells.

"Even if there's a lack of water or you accidentally mow them down, these plants will go dormant and come back up for you next year. You gotta love plants that thrive on abuse," says Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery near Raleigh, N.C. So take another look at these plants that tolerate a bit of neglect but have a lot of potential in the landscape.

Note: The more technically accurate term for "bulb" is geophyte--a term that classifies this group into bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers. If the geophytes described below aren't hardy to your zone, dig and take inside for the winter.

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The brown warts on Amorphophallus bulbifer can be removed and planted to create additional plantings. --photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
  • A member of the Aroid family, the voodoo lily tops the list as a conversation-starter. Perhaps the most famous member of the Amorphophallus genus is the rare-blooming A. titanum whose giant, six-foot bloom emits a foul odor when it first opens (reminiscent of rotting flesh). When these tuberous plants start to bloom, bring the neighbors over to check them out--or smell them.

    A. bulbifer offers a light pink flower that's certainly not as large as giant voodoo lily but is still a respectable foot-and-a-half tall. Its most interesting attribute is how it forms brown warts on the stems that, when removed, can be used to start new plants. Hardy to USDA Zones 7b to 9. According to Avent, another species, A. kiusianus, is cold-hardy into Maryland and produces a unique hot-pink and blue fruit spike. USDA Zones 7 to 10. A. konjac is another winter-hardy selection that flowers and multiplies easily so it can be shared with other gardeners. This one reaches four to five feet tall. USDA Zones 6 to 10.

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    Arisaema triphyllum 'Black Jack' --photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
  • For shade gardens, black Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum 'Black Jack') offers striking black foliage in combination with a black-and-white-striped spathe on its bloom. Plants bloom in mid-spring and reach one foot tall. USDA Zones 6 to 9.
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    Canna 'Australia' --photo courtesy of Brent and Becky's Bulbs
  • Another black-foliaged treasure is Canna 'Australia'. Not your typical canna, its striking dark burgundy-black leaves are quite stunning, especially when paired with its scarlet-red blooms. It stands about five feet tall. Place it in the middle to back of a sunny border where it'll provide a nice structural accent. USDA Zones 7 to 10.
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    Colocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant Strain' --photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
  • Want a specimen plant in your tropical garden that will be the envy of all your neighbors? Check out this elephant ear on steroids. Discovered growing in the wild in Thailand, Colocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant Strain' has gardeners clamoring to get one. It produces giant-sized, five-foot leaves on eight- to nine-foot plants. According to Avent, its grayish-green leaves dwarfs a minivan. USDA Zones 7 to 10.
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    Colocasia esculenta 'Coffee Cups' --photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery
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    Colocasia esculenta 'Yellow Splash' --photo courtesy of Brent and Becky's Bulbs
  • If you're looking for an elephant ear that's not as big on size but still huge on impact, consider the variegated Colocasia esculenta 'Coffee Cups'. 'Coffee Cups' has glossy purplish-black streaked leaves that are cupped. The leaves fill with water after a heavy downpour. It has purplish-black leaf veins and stems, much like C. esculenta 'Fontanesii', but with the unique variegation on the foliage. Plants reach six feet tall. USDA Zones 7b to 10.

    'Yellow Splash' is another dramatic Colocasia with a lemon-lime twist. Variegated leaves look like they've been splashed with yellow paint, with some green leaves being "drenched" with yellow while others showing less obvious splotches. Plant size is four feet tall. USDA Zones 7b to 10. Both selections should be planted in a full-sun location with adequate moisture. Note: elephant ears prefer a moist to wet soil and are heavy feeders.

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