Tulips

Tulips say "spring" like no other flower!

The vivid yellow, red, pink, purple & orange flowers are a feast to eyes weary from the dull colors of winter.

Tulips are often linked to Holland, but they actually come from Persia, where the name means "turban," a nod to their shape.

There are hundreds of tulip varieties to choose from, grouped by flower form, height and bloom time. Choosing which ones to grow is dependent on where you live and where you're planting.

Tulip Types

Two of the common ways to group tulips is by bloom time and flower height. Tulips can be divided into early, mid, and late season flowering and by heights.

Tulip heights are as follows:

Short (less than 8 inches tall)
Medium (8 to 18 inches tall)
Tall (greater than 18 inches tall).

By planning with these factors in mind, you can design a spring bulb garden that looks great. You’ll enjoy blooms that last longer through the season. Some examples of tulip varieties within these groups are listed below.

Early Tulips

Species Tulips: There are many different varieties of these delicate, very early bloomers. Most are 4 to 10 inches high and ideal for rock gardens or other intimate garden spaces.

Emperor (Fosteriana): Large and majestic are the terms used to describe these bold-colored flowers. These are first to bloom among the large-flowered tulips.

Single Early: Solid-colored, single flowers.

Midseason Tulips

Triumph: The large, 5-inch-diameter blooms are great for cutting. They grow 18 to 20 inches tall.

Darwin Hybrids: These large, classic tulips, such as Golden Apeldoorn grow 20 to 24 inches tall.

Fringed: Featuring a fringe on the top cup of the flower.

Late Tulips

Double Late: Double-flowered varieties feature peony-shaped blooms on 16- to 18-inch-tall stems.

Lily-Flowered: Shapely, pointed petals give these flowers a graceful look. Most varieties grow 20 to 22 inches tall.

Parrot: Ruffled, curly petals in striking color combinations give these a special appeal. They grow to 18 to 22 inches tall.

Design Ideas

Resist the temptation to plant tulips in a single row. They look best planted in informal groups of 5 to 11. Or, plant them as a block of color with 20 or more bulbs planted just a few inches apart.

Plant each variety in a block unto itself, positioned next to a contrasting or complementary color. Or, combine several colors together and plant your own unique mix. Choose varieties with different flowering times to extend the bloom season.

Tulips look great planted in combination with annual and perennial flowers. Try planting tulips with annuals such as pansies, forget-me-nots, and allysum.

Early flowering perennials such as bleeding heart, basket-of-gold and columbine also complement tulips.

Planting other spring flowering bulbs such as muscari and scilla will add contrast and stretch the bloom season in the bulb bed.

Planting Tulip Bulbs

The larger the bulb size, the bigger and better the flower you'll get. Tulips are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7.

In warmer areas, you may need to chill the bulbs before planting. You can also choose specific varieties that don't need a long winter dormancy before blooming. To chill tulip bulbs, refrigerate them for 8 weeks at 40 to 45 degrees. Plant after Nov. 1, placing bulbs 6 to 8 inches deep in a shady area so the bulbs remain as cool as possible.

The best planting time varies from region to region. Check with your local cooperative extension for advice.

In zones 3-7, the most important consideration when planting tulips is drainage. Tulips prefer a sandy, well-drained soil. If your soil is wet or very heavy, add compost and peat moss. You can also mound the soil up into a raised bed, which will help the soil dry out and become warmer.

For everywhere else, choose a full-sun location with well-drained soil for best performance. Plant after the soil has cooled to 60 degrees F (or lower) at 6 inches deep. Cultivate the soil to a depth of one foot and work in some bulb fertilizer. Set the bulbs pointed-end-up about 4 to 6 inches deep.

In cold winter areas, mulch the planting area can with 4 to 6 inches of straw or hay for extra protection. Wait to mulch until the top several inches of soil have frozen.

Tulips flower best the first spring after planting, so many gardeners replant tulips each fall, treating them as annuals. The small-flowered species tulips are an exception. These tulips will naturalize and flower as perennials for many years.

Fertilizing all tulips once or twice a year will encourage them to flower well for several years. If you want to try for a second year of bloom, cut back the tulip flower stalk after blooming, but leave the foliage to. The foliage will produce the energy the plant needs to form the next year's flower.

Planting Easter Tulips

In the spring, many people enjoy planting and gifting live plants.

It's best to enjoy these blooms indoors as long as they last and plant them outdoors so that you can enjoy the flowers again next year.

You can plant outdoors as soon as the flowers have faded. Since the leaves of the plant are much hardier than the blooms, they will not be harmed if you plant them right after the holiday. To do so, follow the same directions described above for planting bulbs. Make sure you keep the leaves intact to feed the bulb for bigger, better flowers next year!