When Do Tulips Bloom in North Carolina?

Tulips in North Carolina

• While typically imagined as a Dutch phenomenon, the tulip (Tulipa spp.) is a native of the eastern Mediterranean and central Asia. The plant’s origins point to its preferred conditions -- that is, cool, dry winters and moist, mild springs. Hundreds of cultivars are available in a complete palette of colors, and they can be planted virtually anywhere, ranging in hardiness from U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 10. Most types of tulips need 12 to 16 weeks of dry, cold weather to flower properly. Tulips in the Piedmont and mountain regions of North Carolina can be treated as perennials, as long as bulbs are selected for the local hardiness zone. In the coastal plain where winters are mild and damp, bulbs tend to rot and are usually replanted each year as an annual flower.

Bloom Time

• Because of North Carolina’s widely varying geography and climate zones, tulips may begin flowering in coastal areas as early as mid-February and continue flowering through mid-May in the cooler mountain and Piedmont zones. Each variety of tulip typically blooms for two weeks, so planting a succession of cultivars can result in a tulip season that lasts for six to eight weeks. Most gardens in North Carolina can have a tulip season that lasts from early April to mid-May.

Cultivars for North Carolina

• The gardener’s imagination and design desires are the limit when it comes to choosing tulip bulbs for a North Carolina garden. All of the following recommended varieties are hardy in USDA zones 6 through 8 and range in flowering time from very early (March) to very late (mid to late May). “Demeter” is a very early purple-flowered type, followed next on the flowering schedule by yellow “Yokohama” or red “Toronto.” Midseason options are numerous, including yellow “Candela,” red-yellow “Striped Apeldoorn,” red “Diplomat” and the red-white “Spring Song.” Versatile late-spring bloomers include red-yellow “Kees Nelis,” pink “Gordon Cooper” and orange-flowered “Jimmy.”

  Very late flowering types are restricted to USDA zones 7 and 8, and include “Orange Favorite,” the dark red “Burgundy Lace” and pink “Sorbet.”

Buying and Planting

• Choose bulbs that are large with smooth skin and show no evidence of mold. Bulbs should be firm, and though small dents usually don’t cause any problems, reject any that have obvious soft or darkened areas. Plant in fall before the ground freezes, usually before Thanksgiving in most areas of North Carolina, or before Halloween in mountain zones. Most types need to be planted at least 8 inches deep. Planting sites should be well-drained and rich in organic matter. Include a sprinkling of well-composted manure in each planting hole to give the bulb an early boost.