The Best Perennial Tulip Varieties

Growth Cycle

• Wild tulip species hail from the highlands of temperate eastern Europe and west-central Asia. They bloom and produce leaves in spring, with the leaves persisting into early summer to photosynthesize light and replenish the underground bulb and produce daughter bulblets. In their native habitats, the soil remains cool and moist in spring but becomes slightly warmer and drier in summer. They've naturally developed an adaptation for summer and fall dormancy that allows them to survive and again grow and bloom each spring. These species tulips are best adapted to the garden conditions found across North America.

Species for Cold-Winter Climates

• In the colder winter climates of the United States--in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 6--a wild array of species tulips grow well and persist as perennials. Tulipa fosteriana, Tulipa humilis, Tulipa tarda, Tulipa uriensis and Tulipa kaufmanniana are among the best for long-term perennial use in gardens. Some of these species, especially Tulipa fosteriana and Tulipa greigii, have a large number of cultivars that also perennialize well.

Tulips for the South

• The number of species tulips that excel in the milder winters and long, hotter, drier summers of the American Southeast is much smaller. Tulipa clusiana and Tulipa batalinii are two species tulips recommended by renowned Southern garden designer Edith R. Eddlemann. Brent Heath, proprietor of an international flower bulb company in southeastern Virginia, mentions success with Tulipa sylvestris and Tulipa turkestanica. These species are best in USDA zones 7 and 8, but will also succeed in colder zones 5 and 6.

Ornate Selections

• Some cultivars of species tulips are particularly ornamental, displaying mottled or striped leaves in addition to showy springtime flowers. Selections of Tulipa fosteriana with variegated or striped foliage include Decora, Easter Moon and Juan. Tulipa greigii cultivars with ornate, contrasting, striped leaves are Donna Bella, Fire of Love, Oratorio and Red Riding Hood.