Tulips: planting, growing and maintaining

Botany

Tulips are bulbous plants that flower in spring, comprising nearly 120 species. They have been extensively hybridised, resulting in thousands of varieties with the most varied hues. Their centre of diversity is located in the steppes of Central Asia, particularly in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. In France, a few species can be found in the wild, such as Tulipa sylvestris, Tulipa agenensis, or Tulipa clusiana. Tulips belong to the family Liliaceae, the family of the Lily, which also includes fritillaries, erythroniums, and tricyrtis. Most current varieties are derived from Tulipa x gesneriana. Cultivated tulips are classified into fifteen groups based on their characteristics (early singles, early doubles, triumph tulips, lily-flowered, etc.)

Most tulips measure between 20 and 60 centimetres in height. However, there are some exceptions, with tulips reaching 70-80 cm tall, while conversely, some tulips are very short, offering flowers almost at ground level, such as Tulipa humilis ‘Tête à Tête’, which measures between 6 and 10 cm in height. Botanical tulips are often smaller than horticultural varieties.

Tulipa sylvestris: botanical illustration[/caption>

Tulips generally produce a long upright stem, which bears a large solitary flower at its tip. However, there are also multiflowering tulips, which have several flowers per stem, such as Tulipa praestans, and especially, like Tulipa turkestanica, where each stem bears between five and twelve flowers.

Depending on the various varieties, tulips bloom between March and May, and even until June for the later ones. The earliest bloomers are the botanical tulips, Tulipa kaufmanniana, and Tulipa fosteriana. The latest bloomers (around May) are the parrot tulips, viridiflora tulips, fringed tulips, and lily-flowered tulips… As for triumph tulips, they are mid-season varieties that bloom in the middle of spring.

Tulip flowers are upright towards the sky. In botanical species and most varieties, the flowers have three sepals and three petals. These six floral parts generally have the same colour and appearance, giving the impression of six coloured petals. They are also called tepals. At the centre of the flower, there are six stamens.

Tulips have been extensively hybridised, and instead of consistently presenting single flowers, some varieties now possess double flowers, or even very double flowers, depending on the number of petals. This is the case for peony-flowered tulips. Generally, these additional petals are obtained by transforming stamens into petals. Flowers can take various shapes: cup-shaped, goblet-shaped, ovoid, star-shaped… They can be very open, revealing the heart of the flower, sometimes of a different colour, but can also be much more closed. They have evolved so much that they sometimes resemble rose or peony flowers more than tulip flowers! Parrot tulips are original with their irregular, frilled petals… This gives the flower more volume. Triumph tulips have a very classic yet imposing side, with flowers that are slightly more squared than in other varieties.

Tulips offer a wide range of colours: they can be red, pink, white, golden yellow, purple – mauve, sometimes very dark, almost black, like the tulip ‘Black Hero’. The flowers are often solid-coloured but can also have multiple colours. Thus, Rembrandt tulips are surprising as they combine several bright colours, taking on a flamed appearance. The patterns they bear give the impression that they have been painted. Originally, these colours were obtained through a virus, but today, Rembrandt tulips are perfectly healthy. In viridiflora tulips, the outside of the petals is marked with green, making the flower even more delicate.

[caption id="attachment_32072" align="alignright" width="1200"] The different colours of tulip flowers with, in order, the varieties ‘Black Hero’ / ‘Curly Sue’ / ‘Columbus’ / ‘Flaming Evita’ / Tulipa praestans ‘Fusillier’ (photo: Leo Seta) / ‘Orange Princess’ / Tulipa sylvestris (photo: Björn S.) / ‘Evergreen’

The petals can be thin and tapered, sometimes pointed. This is generally the case with lily-flowered tulips, which gives them a very refined appearance. The Tulipa acuminata is impressive for its extremely fine petals! At other times, the petals are more rounded, coarser, as in the classic triumph tulips. They can also be fringed, with a laciniate edge. This then gives a flowering of rare finesse, with a lace-like appearance on the edges of the petals. Botanical tulips generally have more tapered and delicate petals than horticultural tulips.

The flowers of tulips can take very diverse shapes: Tulipa sylvestris (photo: Vadyum Manyuk) / lily-flowered tulip ‘Ballerina’ / parrot tulip ‘Flaming Parrot’ / Tulipa acuminata / early double tulip ‘Brownie’ (photo: Liz Every – GAP)

Tulips have elongated leaves, pointed at the tip, and quite thick. Their edge is sometimes undulate. They are arranged alternately on the stems. They can be striated, striped… Thus, Tulipa greigii and Kaufmanniana tulips often have leaves marked with purple streaks.

Tulips possess bulbs, which serve as storage organs. They allow the plant to store nutrients to survive the bad season and bloom again in spring. Their size influences flowering: larger bulbs generally produce larger flowers. We recommend choosing bulbs that are at least calibre 12. Botanical tulips often have smaller bulbs than horticultural varieties.

The fruit of the tulip is an elongated capsule, which opens in three parts at maturity to release numerous brown, flattened seeds.

The capsules and seeds of Tulipa sylvestris (photo: Roger Culos – Museum de Toulouse)[/caption>

Botanical Tulips:

Most horticultural tulips are derived from Tulipa gesneriana. This species has been hybridised for centuries, resulting in a profusion of impressive varieties with large, colourful flowers. Botanical tulips are those that do not descend from Tulipa gesneriana. They are species found in the wild, or varieties that have remained very close to it, as they are weakly hybridised. They are less dependent on humans for their survival. Thus, they require less care, can manage on their own, and return year after year. They naturalise easily. They also offer more delicate, finer flowers…

Tulipa bakeri Lilac Wonder

This is a small tulip with very open flowers, mauve on the outside and yellow in the centre. It will bring brightness to your beds and rockeries.

• Flowering time May
• Height at maturity 15 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa turkestanica - Botanical Tulip

This is a small multiflowering tulip with a light and bright flowering. Each stem bears between five and twelve star-shaped white flowers with a yellow centre. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 15 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa Albocaerula Oculata Group

This small tulip has star-shaped flowers, close to the ground as they are carried by short stems. The white petals provide a lovely contrast with the blue centre of the flower. It flowers early.

• Flowering time April
• Height at maturity 10 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa humilis var. pulchella

This is a small tulip with violet-mauve flowering, offering subtle shades. The centre of the flower is white and yellow. It will thrive in pots or rockeries.

• Flowering time April
• Height at maturity 15 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa orphanidea 'Flava'

A particularly elegant tulip, with yellow flowers edged in red, and delicately shaded with green. It is taller than most botanical tulips. It offers a lovely blend of warm colours.

• Flowering time May
• Height at maturity 20 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa clusiana 'Peppermintstick'

This is a white-flowered tulip, with the outside of the petals being pink. It is appreciated for its romantic and delicate flowering. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 20 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa acuminata

This is a very old variety, surprising for its extremely fine petals! A flowering in warm shades, offering a subtle gradient of soft red and yellow.

• Flowering time June, July
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

Tulipa sylvestris - Botanical Tulip

This is a superb yellow-flowered tulip that grows spontaneously in the wild in France. A bright and elegant flowering!

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 12 cm

See the product sheet

The main varieties of tulips

Most Popular

Our Favourite Varieties

Other Varieties to Discover

Tulipa Angélique - Double Late Tulip

This is a peony-flowered tulip, therefore a double-flowered one, in soft pink, with the outer petals slightly marked with green. It flowers late.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Orange Princess - Double Late Tulip

A tulip appreciated for its bright, vivid orange hue, with large double flowers (peony flowers). It is a late variety.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 35 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa fosteriana Purissima

Tulipa fosteriana 'Purissima' is a classic tulip, with single flowers, pure white. It flowers early in spring and can naturalise. A very elegant variety!

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Mysterious Parrot - Parrot Tulip

This is an original variety with purple-violet flowers, shaded with white. The petals are irregular, surprisingly undulated, frilled, with fringed edges. It is a rather late tulip.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 45 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Black Hero - Double Late Tulip

'Black Hero' is a tulip with large double flowers, very dark, almost black. It is a late variety. You can pair it with lighter-toned flowers to create stunning contrasts.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

 

 

Tulipa Triumph Princesse Irene

A tulip with bright orange flowers, with the outer petals delicately flamed with purple. It is an ideal variety to bring colour to your beds or in a bouquet!

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 35 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Negrita - Triumph Tulip

This tulip has a dark purple-flowered bloom. It is a variety with fairly large single flowers, borne on sturdy stems.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 45 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Queen of the Night - Early simple Tulip

Also known as 'Queen of Night', this tulip offers a late but very intense flowering, dark purple, almost black. The flowers are single and borne on tall stems.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 60 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Ballerina - Lily flowering Tulip

This is an elegant tulip, with very slender, pointed petals, in bright orange. It flowers late. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time June
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

 

 

Tulipa viridiflora Greenland

The 'Groenland' tulip offers an original flowering, in soft pink, with the outer petals marked with green.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 45 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Apricot Beauty

A tulip with single flowers, in pink-orange. It flowers very early in spring. It has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

• Flowering time April, May
• Height at maturity 40 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa La Belle Époque- Double Early Tulip

This is a very surprising variety due to its colour, which gives it a vintage look. Its flowers are double and take on a soft pink hue with subtle shades of cream – caramel – amber, slightly orange.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 35 cm

See the product sheet

 

Tulipa Cairo

This is an elegant variety, which offers an orange flowering, slightly coppery. It is appreciated for its warm hue.

• Flowering time May, June
• Height at maturity 50 cm

See the product sheet

Young plantation

Where to plant?

Tulips thrive in sunlight. They can tolerate partial shade, but ample brightness is necessary to ensure good flowering. It is best to plant them in a sheltered position from the wind, especially for the taller varieties.

Plant your tulips in light, well-draining soil. They do not like stagnant moisture, which can cause the bulbs to rot. If your soil is heavy, you should add a layer of gravel or coarse sand in each planting hole to allow for drainage. However, tulips appreciate rich, fertile soils. If your soil is poor, it is advisable to add compost. They are, however, not very sensitive to pH.

You can grow tulips in pots and place them on your terrace or windowsill. Pair them with other spring bulbs (daffodils, grape hyacinths, hyacinths…) and layer the bulbs by planting them at different depths. As they enjoy sunlight and well-draining soils, some tulips will particularly thrive in a rock garden! This is the case for most botanical tulips (Tulipa humilis, Tulipa polychroma, Tulipa turkestanica…).

Botanical tulips are the easiest to grow. They are less demanding and can tolerate more varied conditions than horticultural tulips. They will therefore more easily withstand a shaded position, heavy soil, or dry and poor terrain.

Botanical tulips easily settle in rock gardens. / Horticultural varieties are perfect for borders (photo MAP – Clive Nichols) / But you can also grow them in pots (photo: Friedrich Strauss – Biosphoto)

When to plant?

Tulip bulbs are preferably planted in autumn between October and November. A little earlier (in September) if you live in a region with a harsh climate. You can certainly plant them later, around December or even January, but the flowering may be less abundant and delayed by a few weeks.

You can also consult our advice sheet – Planting spring bulbs late

How to plant?

We recommend planting the bulbs in groups rather than individually. Allow about ten centimetres of space between each bulb.

Before planting, check the condition of your bulbs: they should be healthy, firm, and not show deep signs of mould. You can wipe them with a cloth to remove superficial mould, but if it does not come off, avoid planting the bulb. It may not take and could contaminate the other bulbs.

1. Place your bulbs. You can scatter them randomly on the ground for a natural effect.
2. Dig a planting hole for each bulb, between 12 and 15 centimetres deep. Botanical tulips are planted a little less deeply, but as a general rule, the bulb should be buried at a depth of twice its height. You can use a bulb planter.
3. If your soil is heavy and clayey, you can add a thin layer of drainage at the bottom of the hole (gravel, coarse sand…).
4. Place the bulb the right way up, with the point facing upwards.
5. Cover it with soil, then firm it down.
6. Water lightly.

You can add a layer of mulch to keep the soil cool, prevent weeds from growing, and protect the bulbs from the cold.

Discover our video tips: Planting tulip bulbs

Maintenance

Generally, tulips can do without watering, especially if they are grown in the ground (in pots, the substrate dries out faster!). Water them mainly during spring droughts. Just after flowering, the bulb replenishes its reserves: we therefore recommend adding a bit of fertiliser and watering lightly at this time. Also, remove faded flowers to avoid unnecessarily exhausting the plant. Then, when the leaves start to dry, watering should be stopped; otherwise, the bulb may rot.

Do not cut the leaves until they are completely dry. Let them yellow and dry naturally. After flowering, the foliage allows the bulb to replenish its reserves for a good bloom the following spring. Be careful if you have planted them in a short grass meadow: you will need to wait until the foliage is dry before mowing.

It is customary to dig up the bulbs of horticultural varieties in summer, once the foliage has dried, to store them in a dark, dry place, and replant the best ones in autumn. However, today we rather advise leaving them in place, especially if your soil is well-drained. Whether you dig them up or not, the bulbs of horticultural tulips will degenerate after a few years. In any case, it is unnecessary to dig up those of botanical tulips, as they are self-sustaining plants that last a long time and can naturalise!

Tulips can do without fertiliser, as their bulb contains nutrient reserves. But you can also choose to add fertiliser to encourage beautiful flowering, especially if your soil is poor. In any case, prefer a fertiliser low in nitrogen.

Tulip bulbs are appreciated by rodents (voles, mice…)! To keep them away, you can plant repellent plants near your tulips: fritillaries, spurge, incarvillea… or surround the bulbs with wire mesh during planting. It also happens that squirrels dig them up. Finally, if you live in the countryside near a forest, it is possible that wild boars come to plough, dig up, and eat the bulbs.

Discover Virginie’s tips to protect the bulbs from rodents!

Tulips can be affected by “Tulip Fire” (Botrytis tulipae), a fungal disease that causes grey spots on leaves and flowers, and sometimes deforms the foliage. As soon as you notice this disease, remove the affected plants and avoid replanting tulips in the same spot. Tulips can also be attacked by aphids, bulb mites, or nematodes.

Also, discover our tips to make tulips bloom again.

Multiplication

Tulips multiply by bulb division. Do this when the plant is dormant, once the foliage has turned yellow. We recommend dividing your tulips every three to four years.

1. Dig up the bulbs. Dig wide enough to avoid damaging them.
2. Gently separate the new bulbs that have developed around the original bulb. Check that they are healthy, firm, and free from disease marks.
3. Choose a suitable location, in sunlight and well-draining soil.
4. Dig holes 10 to 15 centimetres deep and place the new bulbs.
5. Cover them with soil, firm down, and water.

It is advisable to prevent the plant from flowering in the first year by cutting the flower stem. This will allow the bulb to grow, build up its reserves, and provide more beautiful flowerings later on.

→ Also discover how to multiply bulbs by scaling in our tutorial!

Association

Tulips come in a wide range of colours and shapes… Feel free to mix different varieties! You can create harmonies by using varieties in the same tones… or create stunning contrasts! Discover our collections, which offer splendid combinations of different varieties.

Our bucolic collection combines ‘Burgundy’, ‘Spring Green’, ‘Blue Diamond’, and ‘Shirley’ tulips (photo: Pernilla Bergdahl – GAP Photos)

Create a colourful and vibrant flowerbed by combining horticultural tulips with spring-flowering perennials. The perennials will help to hide the tulip at the end of its growing cycle, concealing its yellowing leaves… You can plant them alongside hardy geraniums, Bleeding Hearts, hostas, or pansies.

In a flowerbed, you can combine ‘Hibernia’ tulips with ‘Matrix White’ pansies and ‘Silver Crown’ hostas (photo: Clive Nichols – MAP)

Tulips pair perfectly with other spring-flowering bulbs, such as muscari, hyacinths, daffodils, fritillaries, or crocuses… Also enjoy the delicate blue or white flowers of ipheions.

Some tulips can be planted in rockeries! Preferably choose botanical tulips, such as the red and yellow flowering Tulipa schrenkii, the delicate little Tulipa humilis, the white and yellow flowering Tulipa polychroma, or the multiflorous Tulipa turkestanica. Plant them alongside other drought-tolerant plants.

Feel free to play with colours… And create a contrasting flowerbed, for example by combining black tulips (like Tulipa ‘Queen of Night’) and white tulips (like Tulipa ‘White Triumphator’). You can also achieve a harmonious scene by composing a flowerbed with warm tones, using carex, heucheras, erysimum, and euphorbia griffithii.

Create a warm-toned scene by combining ‘Irene’ tulip with ‘Chocolate’ Carex, ‘Marmalade’ Heuchera, ‘Poem Mandarine’ Erysimum, and ‘Dixter’ Euphorbia griffithii (photo: GAP – Heather Edwards – Design Gary Bristow)

Grow your tulips in pots and create a stunning spring composition in deep blue tones, for example by pairing ‘Queen of Night’ tulip with muscari and pansies.

You can create a stunning deep blue composition by combining ‘Queen of Night’ tulip with muscari and pansies (photo: Friedrich Strauss – Biosphoto)

Botanical tulips easily find their place in a naturalistic garden, alongside other small spring bulbs (muscari, fritillaries…), or small early perennials. You can pair them with forget-me-nots, honesty (Lunaria), grasses, and especially the blue flowers of wood hyacinth (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)! Similarly, for a very natural look, don’t hesitate to scatter tulip bulbs in your short grass meadow.

Did you know?

• Tulipomania

In the 17^th century in Holland, there was a genuine craze for the tulip. The price of tulip bulbs literally soared… a single bulb was worth up to fifteen times the annual salary of a craftsman! Some people gathered to buy a share of a bulb together. Then the price collapsed, leading to the ruin of many speculators. This event is sometimes referred to as the “first speculative bubble” in history.

• The Keukenhof Garden

In Holland, the Keukenhof floral park showcases an exceptional collection of tulips and spring plants, with a total of over 7 million bulbs. Discover Pierre’s article on our blog.