I've realised that although my garden has a profusion of colour during the summer months, I'm lacking spring colour... Could anyone recommend any reliable perennial tulips (not necessarily species ones) for my borders? Many thanks.
Hi @Janie B Not sure what you mean by "perennial tulips", especially since you specify "not necessarily species ones", which are precisely those tulips which are more perennial than other ones. I'm confused.
In the past I have had fosteraina tulips and these flowered every year. I have planted mixed colours in my new garden and they have just finished flowering so hope they might return next year.
Sorry, @Papi Jo , I didn't mean to confuse you! From what I read the species tulips tend to be shorter and have smaller flower heads than most tulips. I prefer the taller, more majestic-looking ones. I understand that some of these taller varieties are more reliable at returning year after year. These are the ones I'm after.
Thanks for your suggestions, @K67 and @edhelka, I'll take a look.
@Papi Jo is right, it’s the species tulips that tend to be reliably “perennial”. Cultivars tend to be less reliable and unfortunately this includes the taller, more majestic ones you refer too but some are more reliable than others.
in my experience the following have flowered well for more than one year - the years below are the longest I have tried or had them for
Queen of the Night - in our garden when we moved in and garden neglected for several years beforehand so has flowered each year for minimum of 6 years
Last year I grew Red Parade and Van Eijk in tubs - all have flowered again well for a second year again in containers.
Purissima - grown last year in a tub and this year in the garden, all flowered again.
I also remember that my college had Spring Green, Shirley and Negrita tulips in their flower beds and being told they came back year in year without being replanted.
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
Tulips are perennials. What makes the difference to their being likely to flower year on year is the depth at which they are planted and the soil. If you can plant them 9"/23cms deep they are more likely to return and they also need full sun and good drainage.
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I have planted mixed colours in my new garden and they have just finished flowering so hope they might return next year.
Thanks for your suggestions, @K67 and @edhelka, I'll take a look.
https://www.sarahraven.com/tulip-purissima.htm?trackterm=purissima
in my experience the following have flowered well for more than one year - the years below are the longest I have tried or had them for
Queen of the Night - in our garden when we moved in and garden neglected for several years beforehand so has flowered each year for minimum of 6 years
Last year I grew Red Parade and Van Eijk in tubs - all have flowered again well for a second year again in containers.
Purissima - grown last year in a tub and this year in the garden, all flowered again.
I also remember that my college had Spring Green, Shirley and Negrita tulips in their flower beds and being told they came back year in year without being replanted.
East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
The RHS has this list of species and other tulips most mlikeley to flower again -
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/tulip/longer-lasting
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