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WHY GROW TULIPS? Nothing says “Spring” better than these diverse, colorful, elegantly simple flowers. They are truly icons of the season.
TULIP HISTORY – Tulips came to Europe from Turkey in the mid-1500s and zoomed to superstar status during the Dutch “Tulipomania” of the 1630s. Learn more.
GETTING TULIPS TO LIVE FOREVER – Most important is keeping them dry in summer; learn more. And if animals bother yours, check out our tips for protecting them.
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Even Rarer Tulips — Every year we get a handful of spectacular bulbs that are so rare we don’t offer them until August. For an alert the moment they go on sale, subscribe to our free, monthly email newsletter or sign up for individual email alerts for each variety below.
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Explore some of the glorious diversity of tulips – they can be double, ruffled, bicolored, lily-like, and more! We’ll choose a collection that includes a range of bloom times to extend your season, a variety of colors and forms to delight your eye, and perhaps fragrance as well! 12 bulbs, 3 each of 4 stunning varieties. For zones 5a-7b(8bWC).
For 6, 9, or more of each, order additional samplers. Tulip care.
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Add some fireworks to your garden and bouquets with this spectacularly different tulip that Anna Pavord calls “spidery and mad.” Unknown in the wild, it’s probably the last survivor from the early 1700s when stiletto-petalled tulips like it were all the rage in the Ottoman Empire. 20”, zones 3b-7a(8aWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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“Ad Rem” means “to the point”, and there’s certainly nothing vague or irrelevant about this beauty! Glowing cups of scarlet-orange petals edged with yellow are held high on sturdy stems, and combined with its fragrance, it’s not to be missed. Darwin, 20-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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“Delectable anywhere,” writes garden-guru Ann Lovejoy, “it should be planted by the bagful.” Lightly fragrant and winner of multiple awards including the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, this popular tulip has been celebrated for its dreamy and unusual color for over 60 years. And it’s great for forcing, too. Single Early, 14-16”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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This French variety is a flower-arranger’s dream with big bright red flowers with brushes of raspberry/fuchsia and striking apricot edges. ‘Avignon’ is a wonderful cut flower, but its strong tall stems also make it a stand-out in the garden, resisting spring rains and winds. Single Late, 24-26”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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The best parrot tulip of the 20th century and dramatic enough to be showcased on the covers of both Martha Stewart Living and Horticulture, ‘Black Parrot’ is a dark, glossy maroon, exuberantly ruffled and frilled. Combine it with snake’s-head fritillaries for a dusky springtime bouquet á la Martha, or pair it with ‘Kingsblood’ for a dazzling display! 19-21”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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It’s not really blue, of course, but a soft, silvery lilac that combines amiably with just about everything. Even better, its tall, late, graceful blossoms last and last in bloom, longer than any other tulip we’ve ever grown. Darwin/Single Late, 24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from one last farm in Holland. Chart and care.
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Looking for a classic pink tulip? Sweet ‘Carola’ couldn’t be better! Cup-shaped rose-pink blossoms harmonize beautifully with pastel tones but are deep enough to hold their own combined with stronger colors making this a great choice for new (and experienced!) gardeners. Triumph, 16-20”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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The best red tulip ever? Could be! It’s definitely the only tulip this old that’s still widely grown today. Generations have prized its rich color – red with a plum blush – and its fine habit – sturdy, weather-proof, and enduring. Isn’t it time you tried it? Triumph, 12”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart, care, and learn more.
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Profiled by both Anna Pavord and Sarah Raven, ‘Doll’s Minuet’ has dancing lily-like flowers of bright rosy-purple petals, each highlighted with a green stripe. It extends the tulip season with late-blooming flowers that are sturdy and long-lasting. Viridiflora, 20-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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This “coffee-brown, maroon-shaded” gem is “undoubtedly the most attractive of the brown tulips,” said the John Lewis Childs catalog in 1920 when tulips in so-called art shades such as bronze, terra-cotta, and mauve were the height of fashion. It’s certainly one of our favorites! Dutch Breeder/Single Late, 18-22”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus Bulborum. See our other brown tulips. Chart and care.
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This classic deep rose tulip shows hints of purple in its luminous petals and is not be be missed! Tulip maven Anna Pavord calls ‘Don Quichotte’ “unusually long-lasting [and] beautifully formed.” and it is reported to return year after year where happy. Triumph, 20-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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“Like raspberry-ripple ice cream,” says Anna Pavord in The Tulip, and “one of the best.” It’s also one of the most dramatic of modern parrots, with a whirling-dervish intensity that rivals that of much older parrots such as ‘Amiral de Constantinople’. OHG founder Scott first grew ‘Estella’ 40 years ago, and he says “the outrageous beauty of its first blooms still blazes in his memory.” Aka ‘Gay Presto’, parrot, 18-20”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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This violet-scented wildflower has small, yellow, almond-shaped flowers that nod in bud and then open wide in the sun. Gerard pictured it in his great Herbal of 1597, Jefferson grew it at Monticello, and it’s naturalized almost like a weed throughout Pennsylvania Dutch country – and our garden. Aka T. florentina, 8-14”, zones 5a-8a(8bWC), from Holland. See our other unusually fragrant tulips. Chart, care, and learn more.
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This rare sport of solid-pink ‘Gander’ is a lovely bicolor that boasts creamy light pink petals highlighted with darker pink at their edges. It’s a beauty sure to harmonize well with the rest of your spring border and unusual enough to be eye-catching. Triumph, 16-20”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Mostly green at first, this fascinating tulip matures to mostly pink with broad brushstrokes of green and cream. One of the oldest surviving Viridiflora tulips, it’s also exceptionally long-lasting in the garden and bouquets – so be sure to order some extras to pick! Aka ‘Greenland’, Viridiflora (very late), 18-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Opening from pale yellow buds, this elegant, mid-season beauty matures from a warm, creamy ivory to almost pure white. If you look closely you’ll often see minute touches of pink and red, botanical beauty marks inherited from its deep red parent, ‘Floradale’. Darwin Hybrid, 20-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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An affordable 18th-century antique, “Emperor’s Crown” is still “magnificent for any purpose,” as C.S. Allen wrote in his 1893 best-seller, Bulbs and Tuberous Rooted Plants. Counterfeits are rife today, but our bulbs are the real deal. You’ll even see them blooming at Mount Vernon! Single Early, 13”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Red is the most traditional, iconic color in tulips, and ‘Kingsblood’ is one of the 20th century’s finest, most enduring reds. Tall, late-blooming, and stately, it’s drop-dead gorgeous interplanted with ‘Greuze’, or sprinkle a few among pastel tulips to add a bit of visual zest, like the maraschino cherries in the fruit cocktail your grandmother used to serve. Single Late, 22-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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A fitting tribute to a famed 20th century Dutch hybridizer, ‘Leen’ has huge dramatic flowers that make a bold statement in the garden. Bright weather-resistant cardinal-red flowers first show a yellow rim which quickly turns bright white at peak bloom. Strawberries and cream, anyone? Triumph, 18-20”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Tall, shapely ‘Marilyn’ brings the tulip season to an elegant close with arching white flowers kissed with red. Nicholson calls this graceful beauty “one of the best” and we agree! Lily-flowered, 18-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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With its classic 1950s name, this classic 1950s tulip is still “unsurpassed even after all these years,” writes Richard Wilford in his 2015 Plant Lover’s Guide to Tulips. An RHS AGM-winner, it’s wonderfully strong-growing and holds its big, luminous flowers on tall sturdy stems. Single Late, 26-28”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Named for a popular Dutch singer of the fifties and sixties, ‘Mieke Telkamp’ is a compact early-bloomer close enough to its wildflower roots to be likely to bloom in future years. Blossoms are initially nicely-tapered creamy yellow petals with a delicate pink blush. On sunny days the flowers open wide revealing cheerful bright yellow centers with a ring of red in their depths! Fosteriana, 10-12”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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A bouquet of these may be mistaken at a distance for fully open red roses, but ‘Miranda’ blooms much earlier and has no thorns! Vibrant, velvety red petals create opulent, full flowers. A delight for the eyes, and some find her to have a sweet fragrance! Double, 12-14”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Gloriously lovely, ‘Negrita’ brings a much-coveted deep purple with hints of lavender, lilac and/or violet to the mid-spring. It provides an excellent contrast with yellows and oranges for dramatic bouquets and borders! Triumph, 16-18”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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We sell tons of this old tulip every year, even though doubles have been woefully out of fashion for decades now – a testament to its great beauty. It’s a frothy extravaganza of white and pink (not peach), like a lacy, Victorian valentine. If you’ve never grown double tulips, this is the one to start with – and what are you waiting for? Double Early, 10-12”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. See our other unusually fragrant tulips. Chart and care.
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Irene’s warm, strong fragrance and unusual coloring – melon-orange flamed with subtle bronze-purple – make it one of the most distinctive tulips of the 1900s. It’s a favorite at Holland’s glorious Keukenhof gardens and easy to force indoors where you can enjoy its heavenly scent up close. Triumph, 14”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. See our other unusually fragrant tulips. Chart, care, and learn more.
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Winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society, ‘Purissima’ brings classic style and elegance to the early spring garden and is sturdy enough to withstand any late winter storms! Gray-green leaves set off the pure white blossoms - and ‘Purissima’ is reported to be one of the best of her class for perennializing! Fosteriana, 16-18”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Enormously popular ever since its debut in 1940, this “satiny maroon-black” tulip (Anna Pavord) is vigorous and long-lasting in the garden. And it’s versatile, writes Jane Eastoe in her 2019 Tulips: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden – “the perfect foil for red, rusty orange, apricot, and copper tulips” as well as “very pretty with soft pink, violet, and white.” Single Late, 24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Imagine a perfect white peony or a double white waterlily unfolding in the morning sun. That’s ‘Schoonoord’ (say SKOH-nord), lush and radiant. In 1935 Louise Beebe Wilder praised it for perennial borders, saying its “prestige as the best... has never been questioned. It is an old variety but invaluable.” And that’s still true! Double Early, 10-12”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), from Holland. Chart and care.
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Most people have never even seen a brown tulip, let alone grown one. Here’s your chance! 18th-century ‘Absalon’ is intricately patterned with swirling flames of dark chocolate and chestnut on gold. It’s a true broken tulip, a Dutch Bizarre from the Hortus Bulborum, and sure to cause a buzz. 16”, late, zones 4a-7b(8bWC). See more brown tulips.
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Once the world’s most popular tulip, gracing hundreds of catalog covers, this willowy, shell-pink beauty was lost to gardeners in 2007 when the last US grower finally gave it up. To save it, we sent 100 bulbs from his last harvest to our friends in Holland, and now there’s enough to share! Though bred from antique Flemish stock, ‘Clara’ was the prototypical 20th-century tulip – not feathered or flamed, not short and bright, but tall, late, pastel, and lovely. Learn more. Darwin/Single Late, 22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC).
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In the 17th and 18th centuries every fashionable Dutch tulip garden had one or more of the fabled ‘Ducs’, colorful short-statured tulips that are often the very first to bloom in the spring. This sweet variety from the Hortus’ collection has rosy red flowers with frosty crowns of white and is sure to delight gardeners now just as much as it did then. Single Early, 8-10”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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Short, sweet, and extra-early, the ‘Duc van Tols’ grew in every stylish garden from about 1600 to 1900. But then tall, late tulips came into vogue, and the ‘Ducs’ all but vanished. Perfect little miniatures, they’re the earliest traditional garden tulips to bloom each spring. Elizabethan ‘Rose’ is our favorite, an innocent white that’s blushed with a little more pink every day it’s open. 5-7”, zones 4b-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus Bulborum.
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Dusky purplish-rose edged with ivory, ‘Violet’ is one of the most unusual of the ‘Ducs’, a group of short, extra-early tulips that grew in every stylish garden from about 1600-1900. Perfect little miniatures at 5-7 inches tall, the ‘Ducs’ are the earliest traditional garden tulips to bloom each spring. Zones 4b-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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Named for Georges Pierre François Grappe , man of letters and curator of the Rodin Museum in Paris from 1925-1945, this breeder from the Hortus Bulborum is a beautiful lavender or mauve. Its cup-shaped blossoms are a perfect addition to the border or bouquet since it “has a rare quality in its delicate coloring; it is neither too harsh or too light, which enables it to blend and combine with almost any other shade.” (California Horticultural Journal, 1946) Single Late, 18-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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You don’t have to be Goth to appreciate ‘Greuze’. Its dusky buds on dark stems open into flowers of deepest purple, and it often follows its first bloom with smaller, slightly later blooms to make a clump that’s informal and charming. Named for an 18th-century French artist, it’s hard to pronounce but “Grooz” is close enough for us. Single Late/Darwin, 23”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland.
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Honoring the national motto of the Netherlands, ‘I will maintain’ proudly combines amaranth-purple with burnt orange highlights in patterns both regal and lovely. This Hortus treasure will intrigue as it changes hues during its bloom and is magnificent in a vase where you can admire its beauty up close. Single Late, 20-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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This lovely scarlet-orange tulip honors the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina who reigned from 1890-1948 and was a symbol of Dutch resistance during World War II. Fragrant blossoms are held on tall stems, good for cutting, and transition to include some sunny yellow shades at their tops. A sport of the ‘Lefeber’s Favourite’. Darwin, 20-22”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus Bulborum.
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The graceful, vase-like shape of lily-flowered tulips like ‘Mariette’ evokes that of the earliest tulips to reach the West from Turkey in the 1500s. This multiple award-winner is a radiant rose-pink, deeper in the center of the petals and shading to silvery pink at the edges. Lily-flowered, late, 20-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland.
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“Pluvia” is Latin for “rain” or “showers”, but there’s nothing stormy about this early-blooming tulip from the Hortus! Golden yellow cups spread wide as if to celebrate spring’s sunshine and increasing warmth and provide a cheerful contrast to darker hues. Single Early, 10-12”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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Regal, stunningly beautiful ‘Amalia’ is a bright cerise sure to enliven your spring garden and bouquets! This Hortus variety honors Dutch Prince Hendrik’s first wife (1830-1872) who was an early supporter of kindergartens in her native Luxembourg (and not to be confused with this century’s Princess Catharina-Amalia, born in 2003, who also has a tulip named in her honor.) Single Late, 20-24”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus.
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Also known as ‘Sweetheart’ this very rare scarlet-red Dutch heirloom was named for the princess born in 1909 who would become Queen in 1948. She and her family found shelter in Canada during World War II and in gratitude for the Canadians who fought to free their country the Netherlands has ever since sent thousands of tulips to bloom in Ottawa every year. Single Late, 18-26”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus Bulborum.
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This extraordinary tulip is considered the oldest surviving English florists’ tulip, having “first bloomed about 1820” according to tulip-breeder John Slater in his 1843 Descriptive Catalogue of Tulips. Richly patterned with mahogany-red on gold, it multiplies slowly and is very rarely offered today, even by us. Aka ‘Charles X’, ‘Defiance’, ‘Duke of Lancaster’, ‘Le Conquerant’, ‘Page’s George IV’, ‘Platoff’, ‘Victory’, and ‘Waterloo’. 16-18”, zones 4a-7b(8bWC), from the Hortus Bulborum.
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A true Rembrandt or broken tulip, this rare and seldom seen beauty has elongated goblet-like flowers glowing with flames and feathers of reds, yellows and oranges. Each flower will be its own unique work of art, so seize this opportunity to add one (or more) of these Hortus treasures to your own collection! Single Late, 16-18”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from the Netherlands.
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Our friend Ryan Gainey, the late, lamented godfather of romantic Southern gardens, turned us on to this willowy beauty when he asked us to find true stock for him. Touched with the slightest hint of spring green, its long white petals twist and reflex just slightly, languidly, cool and elegant. Lily-flowered, 23-25”, zones 3a-7b(8bWC), from Holland.
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WHY GROW TULIPS? Nothing says “Spring” better than these diverse, colorful, elegantly simple flowers. They are truly icons of the season.
HISTORY — Tulips came to Europe from Turkey in the mid-1500s and zoomed to superstar status during the Dutch “Tulipomania” of the 1630s. Most prized then were “broken” tulips, feathered and flamed with contrasting colors by benign viruses. Every year we’re offering more of these rare jewels from our friends at the Hortus Bulborum.
In the early days, tulips were generally grown as mixed collections of choice individual specimens. Then with the rise of Victorian bedding-out in the mid-1800s, short, bright Single and Double Early tulips were massed in cookie-cutter beds in the lawn. Reacting against that style, early-twentieth-century gardeners favored taller, later-blooming, pastel tulips for their perennial borders.
SIZES, ETC. — We offer the largest bulbs available, 12+ cm, though species bulbs are naturally smaller. All are Dutch-grown (except two) and fall-shipped.
TULIP ARCHIVES — For customer raves, stories behind the bulbs, links, books, news, and more, see our Tulip Newsletter Archives.
TULIPS AS CUT FLOWERS — For tips for longer lasting bouquets, see our Bulbs as Cut Flowers page.
GETTING TULIPS TO LIVE FOREVER — Well, almost. Though they have a reputation for being short-lived, we know of tulips that have been blooming beautifully for decades. Here’s how to get the most out of yours.
For a start, you need to be in zone 7 or colder. (Gardeners in warmer zones can grow tulips as annuals, but you’ll need to chill them in the refrigerator for 8 weeks before planting.) Then most important, we’ve learned from experience, is keeping them DRY in SUMMER (as in their native homes). Try this: plant a few where you never water in summer — or near a thirsty shrub or tree — and see how well they return.
Beyond that, the basics include well-drained soil (improve heavy soil, or try raised beds), lots of sun, regular fertilizing, and — this is very important — letting the foliage ripen to yellow to feed the bulbs for next year’s bloom. Some authorities recommend deep planting, especially in the South — to 12 inches — but we say 6-8 inches is plenty.
Then there’s this age-old method: dig them up every summer, store them in a cool dry spot, and replant them in the fall. You’ll end up with more bulbs every year, guaranteed. Some varieties just last better, too — often Single Earlies, Single Lates, Lily-flowered tulips, and species.
And there’s a good reason why OLD VARIETIES OFTEN PERENNIALIZE BETTER: they were bred for gardens, not for commercial pot-flower and cut-flower uses as most modern tulips have been.
Tulips do best when planted in mid- to late fall, after the soil has thoroughly cooled. Later is better than earlier with tulips. If necessary, store in open bags in a cool, dry spot (or the refrigerator — NOT the freezer).
Neutral to slightly alkaline soil is ideal, though tulips are very adaptable. Set bulbs about 6 inches apart from center to center (or closer for a lush look). For each, scratch a tablespoon of bulb fertilizer into the surface soil (slow-release 10-10-10 is ideal). Use no manure. Water well and make sure the bulbs have reliable moisture throughout their growing period, from planting in the fall through the ripening of their foliage the following summer.
PROTECTING TULIPS FROM ANIMALS — Tulips, unfortunately, seem to be a favorite on most animal menus.
If animals dig your newly-planted bulbs try covering with plastic bird-netting, wire-mesh, a window screen, or burlap bags for a couple of weeks till the inviting smell of freshly-dug earth disappears.
If animals burrow to your bulbs, try lining the planting hole with wire-mesh, plant in wire-mesh boxes, or plant in buried pots covered with a square of chicken-wire.
Moles often disturb bulbs as they dig for grubs. Killing the grubs (try beneficial nematodes or spraying your lawn with bitter, organic Mole-Med) will reduce the moles — and this will discourage voles and mice which often use mole tunnels to munch on bulbs.
If animals eat spring growth, cover it with chicken wire for a few weeks (while they are hungriest), sprinkle blood meal around it, fence them out, or — our most successful solution — spray it with bitter, non-toxic Ro-pel, available at many garden centers. Bulbs can be dipped in Ro-pel before planting, too.
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