Turkish Tapestry - Species Tulip Mix

Product Details

This mix of vividly colored little jewels will brighten any sunny spot in the garden. The flowers may be small, but the colors are big, their effect bright and cheerful. Selected for their range of colors and staggered bloom times throughout a month, they offer a vibrant display ahead of most other Tulips. Species Tulips are hardy and generally long-lived, and they thrive in all sorts of unpromising spots: in bony soil, among rocks, or in cramped quarters between paving stones. They also look terrific in open woodlands, amid Ferns, at the front of the perennial or shrub border, and along any path you might wander in springtime. 25 bulbs cover 3–4 sq. ft. Not labeled.

Tulipa is an enormous genus, consisting of approximately 75 species. Tulips are native to areas including the Middle East and the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. These regions have long cold winters and hot, bone-dry summers, and these are the conditions in which Tulips perennialize (or, in other words, return year after year) most successfully. In North America, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to replicate these climatic conditions, and as a result, we recommend that most Tulips are treated as annuals. Plant the bulbs in fall, enjoy their colorful blossoms in spring, and when the flowers subside, remove the plants, including the bulbs, and compost or discard them. The advantages to this ritual are three-fold: You won’t spend weeks of spring waiting for second- or third-year Tulips that don’t bloom; you won’t spend weeks eyeing yellowing and decaying Tulip foliage in your gardens; and you can look forward to the considerable delight of choosing new varieties, colors, and forms each season to refresh your display.

All that said, there are a few Tulips that are more likely to perennialize than others. Species Tulips, sometimes referred to as “botanical Tulips,” have smaller, somewhat wilder looking flowers than the hybridized goblet forms, but they are more forgiving of milder climates, and they are known to return for two to three years in a favorable site. Long-stemmed, goblet-shaped Darwin hybrids have been bred to offer multi-year performance, and Fosteriana Tulips generally return for up to three years (and sometimes more) under ideal conditions.

Tips for Good Tulip Culture

Because this variety is a Species Tulip, it may rebloom for several years, if you follow the instructions below:

• After the blossoms are spent, remove them promptly, cutting the stem about 1” below the flower.
• Allow the remaining stem and foliage to continue growing and gathering energy for next season’s bloom
• Allow the foliage to turn yellow and droop to the ground. At that point, prune it out or remove it with a tug.

For more information on the growing and care of Tulips, click Growing Guide.