I live in the US, the Northern hemisphere. In my neck of the woods bulb flowers bloom beginning in the early spring, which for us is in March. Crocus and hyacinth, then daffodils, tulips, iris and daylilies/Asian lilies.
What about such flowers in the Southern hemisphere? Are they timed so that they start blooming in, say, September? What about bulbs that may have been shipped in from up north? And do the same flowers bloom in, more or less, the same order?
Silly question, but I’m curious. My iris are just about to break out in blooms, and they are my favorite flowers.
Plants dont know what month it is, and there is not just one kind of strategy employed by bulbs (to include bulb-like plants that are not technically bulbs)
But if you move a plant into a similar latitude/climate in the opposite hemisphere, it will respond to the local seasonal changes -and therefore flowering will be offset by six months.
Actually moving a living plant in such a way can upset it though, because from the plant’s point of view, the transition represents an abnormally long season of one kind or another, or an unexpected sequence of seasonal cues. It’s not insurmountable, though, or we wouldn’t have botanic gardens.
Many bulb plants get increasingly difficult to grow the farther south you go, just as Palm trees get increasingly difficult to grow as one moves north.
Holland is where many bulbs are cultivated, and popular points for cultivating bulbs are similar climates in the U.S (upper NY State, etc). There is a gray area climate-wise… sort of like a ‘bulb transition zone’ where the gardener has to be on their game to manage the bulbs around the climate.
Google this: how far south bulbs or* how far south tulips* (it’s relevant!)
People are passionate about bulbs. I knew someone from Holland who settled in the USA and imported bulbs and grew them here. There are some good reads out there.It’s art, passion, science and interesting. Google the term above and you’ll get reads from regular folks, county extensions, etc.
Remember, there are no absolutes. It’s a very dynamic answer about what happens as you go south. Bulbs like 'em some cold hibernation time… but it isn’t a deal breaker.