Tulipa

( TEW - lip - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Tulip, this genus of cheerful perennial flowering plants needs full sun during their blooming period in springtime and partial shade afterwards if they are grown in a warm climate. They vary widely in habit, color, and appearance. Bloom time typically occurs in March and lasts through May. Mass these flowers together for the best effect; they can also be used in rock gardens, containers, border plantings, or along pathways and patios. Take care when planting Tulips in the garden, as plant parts are toxic to both humans and their pets.

Tulipa Species and Varietals

The genus Tulipa is a member of the plant family Liliaceae and includes 75 species. The genus name is derived from the Latinized Turkish name for turban, 'tulbend', referring to the shape of the flowers. The Tulip species listed below have been divided into groups depending on their flower type, bloom season, and species or hybrids. Tulips grow well in zones 1-24, though this varies somewhat depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Tulipa agenensis (Red Tulip of Bologne)
This species of Tulip is native to Turkey, Iran, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and the Aegean Islands. It produces brick red to deep red flowers with black and yellow markings towards petal bases. Stems are green. Petals are ovular, with curled tips. Foliage is green.

Tulipa alberti (Albert's Tulip)
This species produces long reddish, orange or pink flowers and is native to the mountains of Central Asia. They reach up to 7 or 8 inches tall when in bloom, and have blue-green leaves. Flowers bloom in the middle of spring, typically between April and May. This species prefers to grow on gravelly, sloped areas with good drainage.

Tulipa altaica
These plants form from an egg-shaped underground bulb, and produce three or four greyish-green leaves. Leaf edges are often wavy. Each plant produces a single flower with six petals which are yellow with greenish-purple to pink flushing on the exterior. These plants are native to mountains in China and Kazakhstan, where it grows on sunny slopes and in thickets.

Tulipa armena (Armenian Tulip)
These plants are native to modern-day Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and the southern Caucasus. It is an extremely variable species, with stems between 3 and 10 inches long. Leaves are reddish-green, and flowers are cup or bowl shaped. Blooms can be red with dark violet, have black to dark green basal blotches, and sometimes will have a yellow border around markings.

Tulipa biflora (Tulipa polychroma) (Two-Flowered Tulip, Botanical Tulip)
These plants are found growing on rocky or grassy slopes and in desert climates, and are native to the Middle East and Asia. Each plant can produce between 2 and 3 flowers, and have greyish-green strappy leaves. Blooms appear between late winter and springtime in the plant's native range, and are white with a yellow center, sometimes with green-grey exteriors. Blooms are fragrant.

Tulipa bifloriformis
This species is native to Central Asia, and comes in two forms, a regular flower and a dwarf variant. The regular form reaches between 6 and 8 inches tall, and the dwarf form reaches up to 3 inches tall at maximum. Leaves are green and have somewhat wavy edges, and flowers are typically white with yellow bases. Cultivar 'Starlight' is a choice garden ornamental variety.

Tulipa clusiana (Lady Tulip)
This Asian species of Tulip is native to Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and the western Himalayas. It is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental, and has naturalized in many areas of Europe and the Mediterranean. Individual plants reach between 6 and 12 inches tall, and flower during the spring. Subspecies Tulipa clusiana chrysantha has yellow flowers flushed with red. There are also many cultivars of this species, including:

'Cynthia'
With pink flowers edged with pale yellow on their exterior and yellow interiors.

'Lady Jane'
White interiors and pink and white exteriors.

'Peppermintstick'
Cerise pink blooms with white interiors and edging.

'Tinka'
With yellow interiors and red exteriors with yellow tips.

Tulipa cretica (Cretan Tulip)
This species is endemic to Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek islands. These plants reach up to 10 inches tall when in bloom, and produce strappy green foliage. Flowers are white and fade to pink with age. These plants are typically found growing in rocky habitats in mountains and along coastlines. Cultivars include 'Dikti', 'Archanes', 'Chania', and 'Hilde'.

Tulipa dasystemon (Tulipa neustruevae)
This species has a small, dark bulb and produces two green pairs of leaves about 6 inches long.

Tulipa eichleri (Eichler Tulip, Eichler's Tulip)
This species is native to the Caucasus Mountains, and produce long green leaves with wavy edges. Tulip flowers are typically deep red with a central black blotch, and bloom singly atop flowering stems that reach between 10 and 12 inches tall. They can also be scarlet, bright red, orange, or crimson Flowers appear in spring, between the months of April and May. The species is named for August W. Eichler, German botanist.

Tulipa fosteriana
Native to the Pamir Mountains and bordering areas in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, these plants reach up to between 16 and 24 inches tall with a thick flowering stem. Blooms appear in early to mid-spring, typically between the months of March and May. Flowers are large and red, often lined with black. Anthers are dark violet. Varieties of this species include 'Zombie', 'Juan', and 'Red Emperor', and cultivar flower color varies from white to orange-red to pink.

Tulipa gesneriana (Tulipa x gesneria) (Didier's Tulip, Garden Tulip)
These plants are widely cultivated as ornamentals around the world, due to their large, showy flowers. This is a tall (between 2 to 3 feet), late-blooming species. Most cultivars of garden-grown tulip are derived from this species. It is native to China. Flowers have a sweet scent and bloom between April and May. Flower color is red to orange-red, and plants are very resistant to frost.

Tulipa spp. Hybrids and Cultivars (Hybrid Tulips)
This group of Tulips are hybrids without a specific name as well as cultivars of other species.

Tulipa orphanidea
This species, native to the southeast Balkans, Bulgaria, Greece, Aegean Islands, Crete and western Turkey. They reach between 4 and 8 inches tall at maturity when in bloom. Each flowering stem holds between 1 and 4 globular to star-shaped flowers. Blooms are typically copper-red (sometimes yellow or red), and have black or yellow blotches.

Tulipa hungarica (Danube Tulip, Banat Tulip, Rhodope Tulip, Derdap Tulip, Yellow Tulip, Boiler Tulip, Hungarian Tulip)
Native to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovenia, and produces small bright yellow flowers that are unscented. Leaves are bluish-grey. Plants reach between 1 and 2 feet tall and bloom between the months of March and May in their native range.

Tulipa kaufmanniana (Water Lily Tulip)
This species is native to Central Asia, and produces a short flowering stem that reaches between 8 and 10 inches tall. It is considered a 'dwarf tulip' and produces lance-shaped green to blue-green leaves. Flowers are funnel-shaped with pointed petals, and are light yellow to cream-colored with exterior pink to salmon-colored markings. They typically bloom between the months of February and April, making them one of the earliest-blooming Tulip species in the genus.

Tulipa linifolia (Flax-Leaved Tulip, Bokhara Tulip)
These plants are native to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, northern Iran, and Afghanistan. They reach up to 8 inches tall when in bloom, and have wavy leaves with red margins. Flowers are bowl-shaped and typically red. Each petal has blackish markings at their base.

Tulipa montana
This species has been described as one of the most alluring of the smaller tulip species, reaching up to between 6 and 8 inches tall when in bloom. Leaves are blue-green and flowers come in shades of red, including scarlet, crimson, and blood-red. Interiors have a greenish-black central blotch and yellow anthers. Flowers can also be yellow. Flowers appear in early springtime or summer, typically between the months of April and July.

Tulipa regelii (Plicate Tulip, Regel's Tulip)
These plants are rare, only growing in certain dry, rocky areas in southeastern Kazakhstan. Leaves are folded up like a fan, and are greyish-green with reddish to pink tones along ridges. Flowers are white with pointed petals, and have yellow interiors.

Tulipa saxatilis
Flowering stems in this species reach up to 10 inches tall when in bloom, and flower between the months of March and May. Each plant produces 2 or 3 green leaves and pink and yellow blooms. Cultivar 'Lilac Wonder' is a popularly-grown variety.

Tulipa sprengeri (Tulipa brachyanthera) (Sprenger's Tulip)
These plants are native to Turkey, and are extinct in the wild. This species is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, and produces flowering stems that reach up to 16 inches tall when in bloom between the months of May and early June. Only one red flower is produced per plant.

Tulipa suaveolens (Van Thol Tulip, Schrenck's Tulip, Cafe-Lale)
This species is the probable wild ancestor of the common garden Tulip species, Tulipa x genseriana. Each plant produces between 3 and 4 leaves that are up to 8 inches long and blue-green. Flowers can be red, light red, pink, mauve, yellow, or white; petals are sometimes bordered with contrasting colors. This species is native to Eurasia, and is considered a protected species in some countries.

Tulipa sylvestris (Wild Tulip, Woodland Tulip)
These plants are native to Eurasia and North Africa and is cultivated as an ornamental around the globe. Flowers are scented and yellow, sometimes with a red tinge on their exterior. Individual plants reach up to 20 inches tall. These plants prefer to grow in dry, grassy areas and in woodland landscapes.

Tulipa systola (Desert Tulip)
These plants are native to the Middle East, and can remain dormant for years until the surrounding climate is just right for flowering. Blooms are typically red with black blotches towards the bases of petals. Individual plants reach between 20 and 40 inches tall when in bloom, and grow in very arid, dry environments. Leaves are greenish-red, as are flowering stems.

Tulipa uniflora
These perennial bulbs produce narrow, green linear leaves and a single small flower each. Petals are yellow, tinted purple on their exterior. These flowers are native to Siberia, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. This species is not typically grown as a garden ornamental, and is mainly seen in its native habitat.

Early Tulips
This group is divided into two subgroups: single and double. Single tulips bloom on 10-16 inch tall stems and and flower colors include white, yellow, salmon, pink, red, and dark purple. Many have a mild sweet fragrance and are popular potted Tulips. They bloom in cooler weather, and therefore have a longer flowering period. Double tulips have double flowers and bloom on stems 6-12 inches tall. They come in the same colors as the single tulips and need to be mulched or surrounded by moss in rainy areas.

Midseason Tulips
This group of Tulip flowers is divided into two groups: Triumph Tulips and Darwin Hybrid Tulips. Triumph Tulips have single flowers that bloom on 20 inch tall stems and come in a wide range of single and bi-colors. Darwin Hybrids have brightly colored blossoms that top 24-28 inch tall stems. They are usually orange or red (though some varieties come in pink, yellow or white), and some have contrasting-colored eyes or markings. Great in gardens.

Late Tulips
This group of Tulip flowers is divided into seven distinct categories. Single Late Tulips have a graceful look to them and have ovular flower heads atop 1.5-3 foot tall stems. Colors include mauve, white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lilac, purple and maroon. They can have contrasting-colored edges. Lily-Flowered Tulips have recurved segments and come in white, yellow, pink, red and magenta. These flowers often have contrasting-colored markings on the petals. Stems rise to 20-26 inches tall. Fringed Tulips are interesting flowers that come in white, yellow, pink, red and violet. Fringes are often differently colored, and the flowers sit on top of 16-24 inch tall stems.

The next group, Viridiflora Tulips, have flowers edged or blended green that sit on top of 10-20 inch tall stems. They make wonderful cut flowers. Rembrandt Tulips are known for having variegated coloring on their petals. Parrot Tulips have taller flowers that are deeply fringed and came in a variety of colors including green. Stems reach 16-20 inches in height. Finally, Double Late Tulips have peony-form flowers that are heavily textured and long-lasting. The stems are 14-20 inches tall and flowers come in orange, rose, yellow and white.

Single Late Tulips

Lily-Flowered Tulips

Fringed Tulips

Viridiflora Tulips

Rembrandt Tulips

Parrot Tulips

Double Late Tulips

Species Tulips
This group of Tulip flowers is separated into four categories, the last comprised of Tulips that don't fit into the other three. Kaufmanniana Tulips (also called Waterlily Tulips) are cream colored with red markings and dark yellow centers. Stems are 6-8 inches tall, and hybrids of these Tulips come in a variety of colors, with centers in a contrasting color and mottled petals. Fosteriana Tulips are early bloomers that have very large flowers on 8-10 inch tall stems. Hybrids come in red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Great for flower beds. Greigii Tulips bloom in midseason, and have 10 inch stems. Leaves are spotted with brown and flowers can be white, pink, red and orange. Some have several colors in a single blossom. Miscellaneous Tulips (shown below under their scientific names, are sold by bulb specialists and are simple-looing tulips best in rock gardens or wild-style plantings.

Fosteriana Tulips

Greigii Tulips

Tulipa acuminata
Spidery segments in red and yellow on 1.5 foot tall stems. Late bloomer.

Tulipa bakeri
Zones 2-24, with lilac flowers that have yellow bases opening to a flat blossom. Bloom in sets of 3-4 in 6-8 inch tall stems. Midseason bloomer, good in mild-winter areas. 'Lilac Wonder' is a choice selection.

Tulipa clusiana (Lady or Candy Tulip)
Slender blooms on 9 inch tall stems, rosy red outside, white inside.

Tulipa humilis (Tulipa pulchella)
4-6 inch stems topped with 1-3 pale purple or pink flowers. Early bloomer.

Tulipa linifolia Batalinii Group
(Tulipa batalinii)
Soft yellow blossoms on 6-10 inch tall stems. Midseason bloomer.

Tulipa praestans
Six red-orange flowers top each 2 foot tall stem. Blooms in midseason.

Tulipa saxatilis
Grows in zones 2-24 and has lilac flowers with yellow bases. Blooms early in the season, and is a good choice for mild-winter areas.

Tulipa sylvestris
Sweetly fragrant yellow flowers bloom on foot-tall stems. Will naturalize freely; good for mild-winter areas.

Tulipa tarda
Zones A1-A3 and 1-24. Star-like golden flowers with white tips, 3-5 per stem.

Tulipa turkestanica
Fragrant creamy white flowers with yellow centers on 6-8 foot tall stems.

Caring for Tulipa

Propagation

Problems and Pests

plants can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:

For more information on these pests and diseases, including how to treat and prevent them, consult the following pages:

Pests & Pest Management

Plant Issues