Tulipa - Tulip

Origins Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, C. Asia
Type Perennial (herbaceous)
Hardiness Zones 3 - 8
Bloom Spring
Height up to 2 ft (60 cm)

Cultivation
Plant Tulip bulbs in the Fall.
They like sunny locations, but will also grow in semi-shade. Light, well drained soils are best for tulips. Fertilize during growing season. When blooms deteriorate, deadhead (remove) the heads. Keep stems, and leaves to enable good, healthy bulb development, and better blooms, in the next season.
Please remember, - when it comes to buying tulip bulbs, size does matter! Always pick biggest, and firmest looking bulbs, within their size category. Good, healthy looking bulbs will produce healthy flowers.
That said, Tulips available, do not perennialize, easily. Once planted, best ever blooms will appear in the first Spring, after planting. After that, number of blooms, and their quality will deteriorate.
For great Tulip blooms, season after season, simply plant new bulbs, each Fall. Otherwise, consider small flowering varieties, since they will naturalize better, and give longer, blooming lifespan.
See our references below, for more information. Farmers Almanac, gives names for specific varieties, that will naturalize.

Propagation
By bulb offsets division (do it in the Fall).

Other
Although, Tulips did not originate in Holland,

this great country became their second home. Many differently shaped, sized, colored, new varieties had been cultivated there; all equally popular across countries, and continents, and we love Dutch people for letting us share in their passion for tulips.
These simple, yet fragile looking flowers inspired painters (Jan Van Huysum, to name one). Special tulip vases tulipieres, were designed to display their beauty. Sink bowls are decorated with tulips and so are upmarket, china houseplant vases. Dresses, chairs, hats, lampshades, glass wear, jewelery, all drew inspiration, from this simply irresistible, shape.
Tulips became classic, and are here, to stay.

Back to March Interest Plants page

Feedback - contact.tcg.now@gmail.com

References - Find more about: tulip through PBS documentary, called BOTANY OF DESIRE by Michael Pollan.

Hardiness Zones, Find which tulips are good for naturalizing from FARMER'S ALMANAC
Special Thanks
Special Thanks to Town & Country Gardens Contributors: 
若昔难得 / CC 2.0, flickr, Jasmine&Roses, Rita Crane Photography. Rita Crane, daughter of LIFE magazine photographer Ralph Crane. Her work can be seen on Flickr at Rita Crane Photography or on her website., TMR Davies, W.D. Williams