Long live the tulip! This brightly colored jewel brightens our days in early spring. We truly look forward to seeing those blue-green leaves start to emerge as the Earth awakens from its winter sleep! Here are our tips on how to plant and care for tulips.
Tulips normally begin emerging from the ground in March. If mild winter weather causes premature growth, the danger is not as great as it may seem. Tulips (and daffodils) have braved these cold temperatures before and quite tolerant. If winter temperatures return, it may delay growth. The snow is helpful, discouraging additional growth and protecting the foliage from extreme cold.
Plant in the Fall for Spring Bloom
Tulip bulbs are planted in the autumn before the ground freezes. By planting varieties with different bloom times, you can have tulips blooming from early to late spring. Some types are good for forcing into bloom indoors and most are excellent for cut flowers, too.
Tulip flowers are usually cup-shaped with three petals and three sepals. There’s a tulip for every setting, from small “species” tulips in naturalized woodland areas to larger tulips that fit formal garden plantings from beds to borders. The upright flowers may be single or double, and vary in shape from simple cups, bowls, and goblets to more complex forms. Height ranges from 6 inches to 2 feet. One tulip grows on each stem, with two to six broad leaves per plant.
Although tulips are a perennial from a botanical perspective, many centuries of hybridizing means that the bulb’s ability to come back year after year has weakened. Therefore, many gardeners treat them as annuals, planting new bulbs every autumn. The North American climate and soil can’t replicate the ancient Anatolian and southern Russian conditions of their birth. Gardeners in the western mountain region of the U.S. come closest to this climate, and may have more success perennializing their tulips.
Botanical Name | Tulipa |
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Plant Type | Bulb |
Sun Exposure | Full Sun, Part Sun |
Soil Type | Sandy |
Soil pH | |
Bloom Time | Spring |
Flower Color | Green, Multicolor, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow |
Hardiness Zones | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Special Features |