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The Bulb Hunter
Beautiful Bulbs.
Deep Roots.
Spring is here — and the jonquils are blooming
Welcome to the world’s finest resource on flower bulbs —
cultivation wisdom, rare finds, and the pure joy of watching something buried in earth become breathtaking.
Spider Lilies
Snowflakes
Rain Lilies
Paperwhites
Crinum Lilies
Narcissus & Daffodils
Caladiums
Tulips
Lycoris
Surprise Lilies
Spider Lilies
Snowflakes
Rain Lilies
Paperwhites
Crinum Lilies
Narcissus & Daffodils
Caladiums
Tulips
Lycoris
Surprise Lilies
Botanist · Author · Speaker
About
A Life Spent Underground
For decades, I have scoured gardens, roadsides, old homesteads, and forgotten cemeteries
in search of rare and heirloom flower bulbs — plants that have survived generations
because someone, somewhere, loved them enough to pass them on.
From the fiery surprise of Spider Lilies appearing from bare earth each fall,
to the nodding white bells of Snowflakes in late winter,
the storm-triggered magic of Rain Lilies,
and the intoxicating fragrance of Paperwhites at Christmas —
every bulb has a story worth telling.
This journal is where I share everything I know: how to grow them, where to find them,
which ones will stop a passing stranger in their tracks. And every week, the most
extraordinary of these become available through my newsletter — directly from
Southern Bulbs.
500+
Bulb Varieties
20+
Years Hunting
200+
Garden Talks
From the Field Notebook
All Articles →
Latest Post
November 2024
The Magic of Bulbs: Paperwhites
Paperwhites are one of the great joys of the winter garden — forcing them into bloom for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s is a tradition worth starting. Here’s everything you need to know.
Read the full post →
Growing Tips
October 2024
Bulb Fertilization
What to feed your bulbs, when to feed them, and what to avoid.
Read more →
Heirloom
January 2024
Is the Hippeastrum vittatum an Heirloom Bulb?
Tracing the origins of one of the South’s most beloved amaryllis varieties.
Read more →
Zone Guide
January 2024
The Magic of Flower Bulbs in Florida’s Zone 9b
Growing bulbs in Florida’s heat takes the right varieties — here’s what actually works.
Read more →
✦ The Full Archive
129
Articles · 2010–2024
Browse The Journal →
14 years of field notes
Every Post, Organized by Year
From 2010 to today — the complete Bulb Hunter archive, sorted by year.
Open the Journal →
The Bulb Hunter
Beautiful Bulbs.
Deep Roots.
Spring is here — and the jonquils are blooming
Welcome to the world’s finest resource on flower bulbs —
cultivation wisdom, rare finds, and the pure joy of watching something buried in earth become breathtaking.
Spider Lilies
Snowflakes
Rain Lilies
Paperwhites
Crinum Lilies
Narcissus & Daffodils
Caladiums
Tulips
Lycoris
Surprise Lilies
Spider Lilies
Snowflakes
Rain Lilies
Paperwhites
Crinum Lilies
Narcissus & Daffodils
Caladiums
Tulips
Lycoris
Surprise Lilies
Botanist · Author · Speaker
About
A Life Spent Underground
For decades, I have scoured gardens, roadsides, old homesteads, and forgotten cemeteries
in search of rare and heirloom flower bulbs — plants that have survived generations
because someone, somewhere, loved them enough to pass them on.
From the fiery surprise of Spider Lilies appearing from bare earth each fall,
to the nodding white bells of Snowflakes in late winter,
the storm-triggered magic of Rain Lilies,
and the intoxicating fragrance of Paperwhites at Christmas —
every bulb has a story worth telling.
This journal is where I share everything I know: how to grow them, where to find them,
which ones will stop a passing stranger in their tracks. And every week, the most
extraordinary of these become available through my newsletter — directly from
Southern Bulbs.
500+
Bulb Varieties
20+
Years Hunting
200+
Garden Talks
From the Field Notebook
All Articles →
Latest Post
November 2024
The Magic of Bulbs: Paperwhites
Paperwhites are one of the great joys of the winter garden — forcing them into bloom for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s is a tradition worth starting. Here’s everything you need to know.
Read the full post →
Growing Tips
October 2024
Bulb Fertilization
What to feed your bulbs, when to feed them, and what to avoid.
Read more →
Heirloom
January 2024
Is the Hippeastrum vittatum an Heirloom Bulb?
Tracing the origins of one of the South’s most beloved amaryllis varieties.
Read more →
Zone Guide
January 2024
The Magic of Flower Bulbs in Florida’s Zone 9b
Growing bulbs in Florida’s heat takes the right varieties — here’s what actually works.
Read more →
✦ The Full Archive
129
Articles · 2010–2024
Browse The Journal →
14 years of field notes
Every Post, Organized by Year
From 2010 to today — the complete Bulb Hunter archive, sorted by year.
Open the Journal →
Reference Collection
The Bulb Library
Reference
The Bulb Library
The most comprehensive flower bulb reference you’ll find anywhere.
Every genus, every species, every growing quirk — documented from
decades of hands-on experience and relentless curiosity.
Each entry links to bulbs available at
Southern Bulbs.
01
Spider Lilies & Surprise Lilies
Lycoris · shop at Southern Bulbs
02
Narcissus & Daffodils
Heirloom & fragrant varieties · shop at Southern Bulbs
03
Crinum Lilies
Indestructible heirlooms · shop at Southern Bulbs
04
Rain Lilies
Zephyranthes & Habranthus · shop at Southern Bulbs
05
Caladiums
Tropical foliage · shop at Southern Bulbs
06
Snowflakes
Leucojum · delicate winter bloomers
07
Tulips
For southern gardens · shop at Southern Bulbs
08
Forcing Bulbs
Paperwhites & indoor blooms · shop at Southern Bulbs
09
Paperwhites
Fragrant narcissus · shop at Southern Bulbs
→
Shop All Bulbs Now
Available now at Southern Bulbs
Ready to Plant Something Extraordinary?
Every bulb I write about is grown and sold through Southern Bulbs —
my family nursery offering rare, heirloom, and hard-to-find varieties
shipped directly to your door.
The Essential Reading
Two landmark books on heirloom and southern bulb gardening —
essential for any serious bulb enthusiast.
The Bulb Hunter
Chris Wiesinger & William C. Welch
Heirloom Bulbs for Today
Chris Wiesinger
Bring The Bulb Hunter to Your Garden Club or Event
From intimate garden societies to major botanical conferences,
I give talks that blend rare horticultural knowledge with the joy and
adventure of the hunt. Audiences leave inspired — and usually in need of more bulbs.
Southern Bulb Gardening
Heirloom & Rare Varieties
Cemetery Gardens
Bulb Naturalizing
The Art of the Bulb Hunt
Louisiana Irises
Book a Speaking Engagement →
“An electrifying speaker. The audience was completely captivated —
we had 40-year garden club members saying it was the best talk they’d ever attended.”
— President, Louisiana Garden Society
“He makes you feel like you’re out there on the hunt with him.
Funny, passionate, impossibly knowledgeable.”
— Director, New Orleans Botanical Garden
