perennial tulips

18 years ago

I hadn't grown tulips in years, due to the deer eating them. Last fall, I decided to plant some again with the plan to spray them with deer away in the spring. I started out with a few apricot impression tulips. They are so beautiful, I have to grow more! I chose the impression tulips, because they are darwin hybrids and I read that they are more perennial than some other types. I do have some red darwin hybrids (can't recall the name) that are still blooming 20 yrs after I planted them. Do all the darwin hybrids perennialize well? Or, are certain ones more perennial than others? I'd like to get more apricot impression, and also Elizabeth Arden, Ollioules, and salmon impression. My plan is to interplant these with white daffodils. Will all the above tulips last for years? Which are the longest lived ones? I also read that emperor tulips are perennial as well. Any suggestions as to which are the best? I don't want to bother replanting every year, I had Angelique one year and loved it, but it never came back after the first year. Any suggestions?

Comments (5)

lindac
18 years ago
No tulip is a true perennial....at least without a very sandy bed and lifting annually. At best some may still bloom after 3 years. The most reliably prennial tulips I have found are the yellow appledoorn....even better than the red appledoorn. I have some blooming now that are about 4 to 5 years in the ground.
Linda C
shrubs_n_bulbs
18 years ago
Wrong, all tulips are true perennials. Some are more vigorous than others and all are adapted to mediterranean type climates rather than the continental climate found in many US gardens. Additionally, tulips do not thrive in rich garden soil with summer irrigation and fertilising. Just because Linda can't grow them well doesn't mean you won't be able to, although the eastern seaboard generally isn't good for tulips.

Here are some darwin hybrid tulips growing wild in a hedgerow near my house.
{{gwi:11347}}

The old red Apeldoorn tulips are some of the best and you've found that already. Some modern darwin hybrids are not so good, other hybrids even less so. The only way you will know is by trying. Provide drainage, don't pour water on them all summer, and don't over-fertilise. Add limestone gravel if your soil is acid.

The Emperor tulips are hybrids and selected forms of the wild species Tulipa fosteriana. Like all the other small species tulips, it lasts longer than the bigger hybrids.
Related Discussions
Is there a perennial purple tulip?
Q
Comments (4)
For a truly perennial tulip you should be looking at the species rather than the large dutch hybrids. Have a look at Tulipa humilis (Violacea Group).
...See More
Holland Queen a more perennial like tulip?
Q
Comments (2)
Tulips are hardy. They don't like warm winters. Their hardiness has nothing to do with their ability to return. Whether Holland Queen will naturalize depends upon to which group it belongs. I didn't see that given at the link. Old Darwins are the most likely to multiply. Found a link that labels it as a class 3 - Triumphs. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fluwel.com/holland-queen/49
...See More
Good Perennial Tulips?
Q
Comments (7)
Yes, Darwins and Triumph's both come back. I find the Darwins to be better at that. And I have a planting method that I swear by - I dig down 12 inches deep (I usually dig out a large bed rather than individual holes)and add 1" of cow manure. Then add 1" of soil. Then set the bulbs. They'll be at 10" deep which is deeper than usually recommended. But they will come back for many years. The longest I've had them is about 5 or 6 years and at that time I dug them out because I was tired of them and wanted a different color.
...See More
Perennial tulips in NYC
Q
Comments (1)
Tulips of any sort can be left in the ground year round and they will come back year after year. They will have to be dug up occasionally and separated but not for a few years. The bulbs produce little bulblets that will bloom in a few years so they can get very crowded after a while. Your blurb said perennializing, not perennial. Perennializing is simply leaving the bulbs in the ground and not digging them up after they bloom. In order to have them bloom year after year you must leave the foliage until it browns and dies. Fertilize with bulb fertilizer when the flowers are in bud and again in the fall. I plant in groups of 5 in a circle throughout the bed. When the flowers are finished I loosely tie them upright with a Velcro tie. Don't tie them tightly. Then I plant petunias around the bulb circle. When the foliage is done the petunias spread over the spot where the bulbs are. This serves a couple of purposes. It covers what would be bare ground and since it is the only place I plant petunias I always know where my bulbs are. This is good if I ever want to change their location.
...See More
ego45
18 years ago
I found Greigii not only to be perennials, but also good naturalizers here in CT.
Kaufmanniana not doing so good in terms of return and forget about Darwins.
Greigii in their third year:
{{gwi:11349}}
{{gwi:11350}}
janetr
18 years ago
Ego, what is the name of the orange tulips in your second picture?
remy_gw
18 years ago
I've had various Darwin tulips come back for me for quite a long time now. Unfortunately I can't remember all their names. I know one I planted is Pink Impression. I have one that looks like Elizabeth Arden, but I can't say for sure. And I have one that I think is Ad Rem, but I'm not sure. I could go on with the I'm not sures, lol. I guess my point is I've planted many Darwins that come back. I'm sure just like any group some are stronger than others, but at least you've got a good chance. The other Impressions are suppose to be sports of the Pink one if I remember correctly. So I would assume that they would have good perennialization tendencies.
Remy

Related Stories

PLANTING IDEAS Easygoing Tulip Ideas From a Grand California Garden

By Le jardinet

Gather up these ways to use tulips to make a spring garden of any size overflow with beauty

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Lovely Water-Wise Perennials for High Altitudes

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Even if your climate is cold and dry, you can still celebrate spring with these hardy and colorful perennials

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Top 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama

By Le jardinet

Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes

Full Story

FALL GARDENING 5 Native Early-Spring Bloomers to Plant This Fall

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Think beyond tulips and daffodils this year with plants that you and native pollinators will love

Full Story

INSPIRING GARDENS A Spring Walk Through Piet Oudolf’s New Garden in the Bronx

By Paintbox Garden

This lush expanse of bulbs, perennials and grasses at The New York Botanical Garden is showing its color. Have a look

Full Story

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Lungwort

By Le jardinet

Yes, the name is unfortunate. But the flowers and foliage are delightful, and this perennial is easy to grow and shunned by deer

Full Story

FALL GARDENING Why Fall Is the Best Time for Planting

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Spring is overrated for planting. Starting plants in autumn has advantages for both garden and gardener

Full Story

118

GARDENING GUIDES Texas Gardener's October Garden Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Earn a "free" bonus by dividing perennials, make planting a priority now for hardy growth next year and keep an eye on your lawn

Full Story

FALL GARDENING California Gardener's September Checklist

By Bill Marken

Planting opportunities abound this month: perennials, lawns, wildflowers and more. Our primer covers 'em all

Full Story

GARDENING GUIDES Mid-Atlantic Gardener: What to Do in June

By Amy Renea

Abundant sun is yielding bountiful blooms in the garden this month, but don't forget to watch for pests, package some seeds and plan ahead

Full Story

perennial tulips

Comments (5)

lindac

shrubs_n_bulbs

Related Discussions

ego45

janetr

remy_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US