Perennial Tulips
Tulips are often linked to the Netherlands, where the flower was largely hybridized and which supplies the bulk of commercial bulbs today. But the tulip’s main provenance and center of diversity is Turkey and surrounding regions, where more than 100 species still grow wild.
Nursery-grown species tulips can be found on the market today, though the selection is more limited than hybrids. But these beauties are worth seeking out. Unlike hybrid tulips, which are generally treated as annuals, species tulips are true perennials that multiply rapidly. The cheery flowers are available in an array of solid or bicolor shades; they are starlike or cup-shaped, and a single stem often bears several flowers. Most varieties are shorter in stature than hybrids.
Species tulips are well suited for rock gardens or other spots with excellent drainage in full sun—raised beds and containers are also appropriate sites. Not only can species tulips take the heat, they thrive on it.
Plant your bulbs when the ground has cooled to about 60 degrees, usually by November or December. Do not place fertilizer in the planting holes, but rather broadcast 7-10-5 bulb fertilizer over soil after planting, then water. Fertilize again when first shoots appear and when foliage dies back after blooming.
Mail-order nurseries offer more choices than retail outlets. John Scheepers, (860) 567-0838, www.johnscheepers.com, has a particularly large selection that includes 31 varieties. Another source is Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, (804) 693-3966, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com