ellen_z7ny, For any Tulip to thrive and reproduce at all it must have a properly prepared bed, properly fed and watered and then properly cared for afterward. I am curious as to whether or not the plant you are describing is truly a Tulip at all? There are many common names for plants and plant types that describe a plant type that it is not. It would be possible I guess for a particular Tulip to become invasive given the right conditions, however highly unlikely. In doing a little research, I have found a few references of "little beauty tulips". Some of them were not Tulips at all, but were of different plant species altogether, but had a somewhat Tulip shape at some point during its blooming cycle. At least one of these references was for a species that we know here by the common name of "Star-of-Bethlehem". These are so invasive that I think it ought to be illegal to sell them. This why it is important to use the botanical name for plants whenever possible. A place you might get more information on this is at the link below. They also have some pretty good information on spring-flowering bulbs in general and a pretty good newsletter. Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening Resource

Tulips are true bulbs and multiply by producing offsets, whereas Crocus are corms and the old corm dies each year and a new one develops on top of it. As the corm becomes larger, more flowering stems are produced, similar to Cyclamen. The species Tulips can produce large colonies from a single bulb, but if left undivided for several years, the flowers will become smaller each year. If you lift and divide them periodically, spacing much closer than 12" is feasible. They require good drainage and alkaline soil to perform best. You will probably have to dig deeper than the bulb setting depth and ammend the soil with a porous material, such as composted ground bark, for drainage and to allow for root development. If your soil is acidic, incorporation of Lime (5 lbs per 100 ft.²), along with 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 fertilizer into the soil would enhance performance. Unfortunately, Tulips are very attractive to squirrels, which will dig and eat or store them. Treating the bulbs with Ropel before planting helps, or use a fertilizer that incorporates Coyote urine as a repellent. I cover my bulb plantings(except Daffodils, which squirrels don't bother), with a 1" wire mesh(chicken wire), until the soil settles after a few periods of rainfall or until the bulb foliage dies down in early summer. Once the soil is compacted over the bulbs, the squirrels lose interest in them. I've not planted Tulips in my lawn, only a few thousand Crocus and Iris reticulata. Using a bulb auger and cordless drills, makes short work of an otherwise tedious and backbreaking job. :Good luck! Rb

Wow, Carol Bang on the nail. A very beautiful flower, but what a pity to find it is another of the thousands of alien species we have allowed to go feral. Where I spotted it, was in open grassland, so not too much of a threat to the local flora, I hope. Thanks Fof

Norma, Thank you for you correction. It is C. 'Little Gem' - I don't know what I was thinking when I imagined that name, improper and just outlandishly wrong, IMO. I need some photo classes, too. The Sony P&S that I have is a great camera if I'd ever learn how to use it. I considered going DSLR but realized I'm vastly under-prepared for laying out a lot of money on technology that's mostly lost on me.