Bulbs, Tubers, Rhizomes and Corms are collectively referred to as bulbs but there are major differences. They all serve the same purpose: to store food as an energy reserve for the plant to use to complete its life cycle. Here is a brief explanation of the differences.
Bulbs
Horticulturalists call these true bulbs to differentiate them from the all the other types. True bulbs consist of layers of modified leaves and contain a miniature flower or sprout in the center. If you cut an onion in half from top to bottom you can see that the roots at the bottom of the bulb anchor the plant to the ground and absorb water and nutrients. Other examples of true bulbs include garlic, amaryllis, tulips, daffodils and lilies.
Tubers
The most well-known tuber is the potato. Tubers can be easily recognized by the eyes from which the stems grow. These types of plants can be cut into pieces and re-grown as long as each piece contains an eye. Other examples of tubers include dahlias and caladiums.
Rhizomes
Rhizomes are simply fleshy underground stems. They grow underground or right at ground level with many growing points or eyes similar to potatoes. Common examples of rhizomes include canna lilies, bearded Iris, ginger and bamboo.
Crocus
Corms
Corms look like true bulbs but they are solid, so they do not have layers of modified leaves. As the leaves and flowers grow, they absorb the nutrients and the corm shrivels up and disappears. One or more additional corms are produced through the growing season and that’s how the plant regenerates itself. Examples of corms include crocus, Gladiolas and tuberous begonias.
Bulbs can further be divided into hardy and tender categories: Hardy bulbs such as tulips and daffodils can be planted in the fall for spring blooming, and tender bulbs such as dahlias, begonias and Gladiolas must be planted in the spring for summer blossoms, then dug up in the fall and stored in a cool dry place where they will not freeze.
Payne’s carries only the largest, highest quality bulbs to help ensure our customers get the best results.