Tulip
Tulipa
Tulip blooms from April through May.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Tulip
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 1.3 ft tall and 6 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Tulip
Tulip is a fall-planted bulb: get it in the ground 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September or October across zones 3 to 8. It pays you back the following April to May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in September.
Comes in 17 varieties across 6 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Tulip
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Mildly toxic: eaten, tulips sicken dogs, cats and horses, and handling the bulbs can raise a rash called 'tulip fingers'. The bulb is the worst part. per ASPCA
Worth knowing
Tulips are toxic, yet squirrels, voles and deer eat the bulbs and flowers anyway. Unlike daffodils, being poisonous does not keep animals off, so protect new plantings. per Iowa State
Perennial or annual?
Sources split: the bulb is botanically perennial, but most large hybrids fade after the first or second year. Choose Darwin hybrids or species tulips, or replant each fall. per Iowa State
Tulip fire disease
The signature disease, a fungus, twists new shoots and scorches the leaves. Destroy infected plants, and do not replant tulips in the same soil for about three years. per RHS
They need a cold winter
Without sustained winter cold the bulbs will not flower properly. In mild-winter regions (about zone 8 and warmer), chill them in a refrigerator for several weeks before planting. per Clemson
Planting depth and timing
Plant in fall, pointed end up, about 4 to 6 in deep (roughly three times the bulb's height), before the ground freezes. per Missouri Botanical
Sharp drainage matters most
Wet ground rots the bulb, and the same damp worsens tulip fire. One choice, sharply well-drained soil, defuses both problems at once. per NC State
What pairs well with Tulip
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blue Oat Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; overlaps, then carries the display into early summer; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Hollyhock
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; taller at 5.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Delphinium
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; leafs out to hide the ripening bulb foliage as it dies back; taller at 4.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lavender
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
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