On most plants, whether it’s ornamentals or edibles, the appearance of flowers is a reason to cheer. That is not the case, however, when certain herbs and vegetables send up flower stalks and go to seed. This process, called bolting, greatly affects their taste and makes your precious garden crops inedible. Find out from an expert in the field why bolting happens in plants, what you can do to prevent it, and which types of herbs and vegetables may bolt. Meet the Expert Benjamin Phillips is a vegetable crops educator at Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center of Michigan State University. What Is Bolting? Bolting is a reaction of cool-season crops to warmer temperatures and longer days, when a rapid shift in a plant’s hormones triggers flowering. “These plants start to produce the hormones for flowering after their chilling threshold—a certain number of hours at cool temperatures—has been reached,” says Benjamin Phillips, vegetable crops educator at Michigan State University. Bolting occurs once the period of cold exposure, called vernalization, is complete. “Warm and hot days accelerate the plants’ flower development,” Phillips explains. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Difference Between Bolting and Regular Blooming “For vegetables that don’t produce harvestable fruit, bolting is usually undesirable,” says Phillips. It is a premature flowering and seed production that cuts short the usability of the crops for consumption because the taste of the leaves turns bitter, and their growth is stunted. Regular blooming, on the other hand, is a desirable part of a plant’s lifecycle. Plants such as tomatoes produce flowers that are then pollinated and become fruit. How to Keep a Plant From Bolting To prevent plants from bolting, Phillips has a few suggestions. All of them require acting early, long before the plants are in your garden and about to bolt. Store Seeds in the Freezer The stage at which crops are receptive to cold exposure varies; for some of the crops, the receptiveness starts when they are seeds. “The bottom threshold for accumulating chill hours is 32°F," says Phillips. He recommends storing seeds like seed at below freezing temperatures. “When you plant them, they will start accumulating vernalization points, but storing the seeds at freezing point will give you more time before the potential bolting process of the plants could start if the conditions are present," he says. Don’t Plant Too Early Seeding or transplanting too early in the spring can give plants enough time to reach their vernalization points. But the caveat is that they will then go straight to flowering instead of making lots of leaves or roots, Phillips explains. Select Suitable Varieties Choosing an appropriate variety for your planting season and location is equally important. “Broccoli and cauliflower are flower buds, and we want these to go through a cold period,” Phillips says. A variety adapted to your area or planting season will usually vernalize just fine, however, rare open-pollinated varieties from exotic places are less likely to succeed. “You may find that a particular heirloom Romanesco cauliflower isn’t receptive to the temperatures in a typical spring in your area and will grow all summer into a massive pile of leaves without producing a head," Phillips says. You can also look for varieties that are labeled as bolt-resistant such as 'Slo-Bolt' cilantro and 'Bloomsdale' spinach. What to Do If Plants Already Bolted If you have been unsuccessful in preventing or delaying the bolting, there are a few things you do. At the first sign of bolting, if the plant is starting to shoot up but has not developed flower heads yet, harvest as many of the leaves as possible. If it is still early, the flavor might not yet be affected, and they might still be good to eat. Don’t wait, as the quality declines quickly, and a day or two can make all the difference. If the plant is an open-pollinated heirloom variety, let the plant go to seed and collect the mature, dried seeds for your garden next year. This only makes sense for heirloom seeds, not for hybrid seeds (identified as F1 in seed catalogs), because these plants are created through controlled crossbreeding, and the seeds from those plants don't produce plants that are true to the parent. Let the plant bloom—the nectar and pollen attract pollinators which improve the pollination of other garden crops such as summer squash that heavily rely on pollinators for a good crop. As a last resort, pull the plant. Plants You Should Always Keep From Bolting This is a list of crops that can potentially bolt depending on when they were planted and how long they were exposed to their required cold temperatures. Spells of warm weather during the cold period and other factors also play a role in the likelihood of bolting.1 Not all crops on this list are equally prone to bolting. The most notorious crops to bolt include cilantro, lettuce, and spinach. Cilantro Lettuce Radicchio Beets Swiss chard Spinach Basil Bok choy Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Collard greens Kale Kohlrabi Mizuna greens Radish Rutabaga Turnip Carrots Celery Parsley Parsnip Members of the allium family (bulb-forming onions, shallots, leeks, garlic)

Popping up in spring to show off their pretty bell-shaped blooms are fritillaria flowers. Learn how to grow these striking bulbs with Wendy Moulton in this comprehensive guide, and include some special flowers in your garden. From the lily family comes a special group of plants collectively called fritillaria. These plants have a specific growth pattern and bell-shaped flowers in pretty colors. Fritillarias are perennial bulbs of mostly European descent with the most intriguing pattern on the petals of flowers that hang like bells on green stems. There are around 130 varieties of these bulbs, with many sporting the iconic checkerboard pattern. Fritillarias were mentioned in Shakespeare’s works and by several botanists in 16th-century Europe. Depending on the region and species, they have many common names, such as chess flower, guinea-hen flower, lazarus bell, chequered lily, daffodil, and drooping tulip. The name fritillaria comes from the Latin ‘fritillus’, which refers to the chessboard or dice box pattern on the flowers and is also the name of a type of butterfly with a similar pattern just in orange and black or brown. What are Fritillaria? Each type of the over a hundred varieties will have specific characteristics. Still, fritillarias are spring-flowering bulbs that will die back after flowering and return the following spring. Native Area This perennial bulb covers a large area of temperate climates in Europe, Asia, and North America. Herbalist John Gerard first discovered or wrote about it in Europe as far back as 1597. Botanists recorded it as growing wild only in 1731. In some cultures, like the Chinese, it is used in traditional medicine. Characteristics Fritillarias differ greatly in size among the different species. They could be just six inches tall or tower to four feet. Like many bulbs, the leaves are linear and set in whorls up fleshy stems. They are mostly green but can also be tinged with a touch of blue. The flowers are why we all want these lovely blooms in the garden or containers. The bell-shaped, drooping flowers are sometimes patterned with the iconic checkerboard or dice box, making them magical. The colors range from maroon to yellow, orange, purple, and white. Most varieties will contain toxins in the form of steroidal alkaloids and should be handled with care. The leaves and stems can harm the skin, and ingesting the bulbs may be lethal. Varieties As discussed previously, there are over 130 varieties of fritillaria. However, there are also the popular ones that we love to grow in the garden. These are just a few of the varieties and their characteristics. Fritillaria meleagris Commonly called snake’s head fritillarias, but they are far from lethal, this very special bulb has maroon and white checkerboard-patterned flowers that will draw a crowd. The flowers are also available in white, but for sheer boldness, the maroon and white is a showstopper. One to two flowers form on stems 14-24 inches tall. This plant has the Royal Horticultural Society’s stamp of approval and boasts Garden Merit status. Fritillaria persica The Persian fritillaria has tall stems up to two to three feet and mostly purple, sometimes ivory to white, bell-shaped flowers, up to thirty on one stem. This variety from Iran, Turkey, and Cyprus grows well in a subtropical environment and is prized for its tall flower stalks. Fritillaria imperialis The crown imperial fritillaria is a crowd-pleaser and quite distinctive with its green spikey crown that sits atop long upright stems three to five feet tall. The flowers hang underneath the crown in bright colors like red and orange. They have an interesting odor that you might find off-putting, but it’s also a deterrent for pests and diseases. Fritillaria affinis The chocolate lily is a native of western North America and comes with tubular hanging cups in chocolaty colors. They form in one to five flowers on stems ranging in size from 4-48 inches. Planting Planting fritillaria bulbs is very simple, with the right instructions and the correct positioning. For the best results, carefully follow the directions provided by the bulb suppliers. Because they can be planted in full sun or partial shade, adjust watering for the different zones. Prepare the soil and set out the bulbs, leaving plenty of space between them for airflow. The larger the bulb, the deeper it needs to be positioned in the soil. For example, Fritillaria imperialis must be buried at least 11 inches to grow and flower well. Planting these bulbs will take place in the fall, around September and October.

Known as the edible honeysuckle, honeyberry shrubs are cold-hardy and easy to grow and maintain. They flower in winter when most other plants are dormant, and the creamy, tubular flowers have a lovely honeysuckle fragrance. They taste similar to blueberries, but with raspberry and blackberry undertones. This unique fruit is a member of the honeysuckle family and is easy to grow with few pests and diseases. The fruit appears in spring and is very high in antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients. Honeyberry is a good ornamental plant and an edible for the food garden. With very little care but for annual feeding and pruning after a few years, they will perform well for many years to come. Read on for more about this great perennial. What Is It? Lonicera caerulea is a member of the honeysuckle family and has various common names, including haskap (from Japan), zhimolost (from Russia), blue honeysuckle, and honeyberry. The Russian and Japanese varieties have some subtle differences. Honeyberry is a tough, deciduous shrub that is winter-hardy and produces a fruit crop in early spring. Native Area Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea) has origins in the temperate regions of most of Europe, Asia, and parts of the US, including an area from California to Wyoming and north into Canada. Several hybrids have been bred, many Russian and some from Canada. Characteristics Honeyberry shrubs grow 4-6 feet tall and have a girth of about the same size, but they can be pruned to keep them more compact. There are also compact varieties to choose from. The flowers are a creamy yellow color, and a tubular shape, and appear in late spring and early summer. They also have the wonderful honeysuckle fragrance that permeates the air, especially at night. The fruits are used for jams, jellies, juices, and wine. They are great for eating fresh and melt in your mouth with their rich, unique berry flavor. They also make a unique sweet sauce for ice cream and cakes. To preserve them, they can be frozen but will burst through their skins when they defrost – good for winemakers, not so good for eating fresh. Honeyberries are also pickled and dried. One reason honeyberries are grown is their health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin B, as well as iron, calcium, phosphorous, and especially magnesium. These shrubs are not self-pollinating and require another variety to help pollinate the flowers. Before planting, ensure you have enough space for at least two shrubs. These extremely hardy shrubs can fruit for up to 30 years or more once you have them planted and look after them with some annual care. Planting Ensure plenty of space between bushes, at least five feet, to account for their mature size. Choose a position with full sun or partial shade. They will grow to around six feet high when mature, but there are also compact varieties that are perfect for container growing and smaller gardens. The best time to plant honeyberry bushes is spring, so they have time to acclimate to their soil and surroundings before the following season. Soak plants in water 30 minutes before planting to help release their roots from the nursery container. Dig a hole at least twice the width of the rootball. This will allow the roots to spread and secure the plant in the soil. Add plenty of compost to the soil and mix well before using it to plant the shrub in the hole and backfilling. Press down to release air pockets, make a basin around the plant, and water well. Add a layer of organic mulch around the plant, making sure to keep the mulch off the plant’s stems.