One of my neighbors found some purple darwin tulips called "Best Purple" at a local nursery. They were packaged and since we have had such good luck with other darwins, she bought some for me. They have been in my yard for at least 4 years and have not only come back but multiplied. We have tried to find more but have hever found any more "Best Purple" darwin tulips. Anyone else ever seen this variety? Bonnie

Thanks for the replies lazy, mammie, and rox. I think it might be a Veronica of some sort after googling the other plants. I'm still not 100% sure on that though. Here is a up close leaf shot if it helps to confirm it is in fact a sort of Veronica plant.

Is your goal as a perennial of 2-3 year annual ? I've planted queen of the night. Loved the color. It started becoming more violet (well not violet but not as deep) over subsequent years. When I ripped and replaced, my mindset changed with tulips and I treat them as semi annuals - refresh them every 2-3 years.

I would agree that the planting location seems to ensures success more than variety. I read somewhere that in their native environment tulips have freezing cold winters and baking hot, dry summers, and very well drained rocky soil. I’ve tried to replicate that with gravelly soil under the overhang of the house, and other places where it’s sunny and dry in summer, and in those areas the tulips are multiplying like daffodils. It’s great. I did try to find varieties that were reported to perennialize well, but the ones in the sunniest, most well drained locations have definitely done the best. I believe I have white emporer, but I don’t remember the red variety. I also read that planting quite deep encourages return flowering, because there is more soil pressure on the bulb and it doesn’t tend to split and divide as often, leaving bulbs flowering size. I dunno. Seems to have worked, though. pictures are of third year clumps, thicker every year. Wish I had room to plant swathes.