What Kind of Roots Do Tulips Have?

Underground Storage Systems

• Tulips, and other bulbs and bulbous perennials, store materials needed to produce new plants in underground storage cells. In the fall and winter, the foliage and flowers die back and the plants go dormant. These types of storage systems include true bulbs and similar root types like tubers, rhizomes and corms. Tulips are a true bulb, along with daffodils and lilies.

Tulips and True Bulbs

• True bulbs are shaped like a teardrop with a narrow, pointed end at the top and a flat area at the bottom called a basal plate. The roots form from the basal plate. The bulb itself is made up of layers of storage tissue that form layers around the center of the bulb. The center of the bulb is where the leaf the new flower buds emerge. The outside of tulip bulb is covered with a fine tissue that protects it from damage and excess moisture.

Propagation and Offsets

• True bulbs, like tulip bulbs, produce offsets. Offsets are small, immature bulbs that grow from the base of a mature bulb. The offsets develop under the soil. Gardeners talk about dividing bulbs. This practice is useful as a method of propagation and to keep the tulip colonies healthy and vigorous. As small bulbs develop, the area becomes crowded, leading to many small tulip plants and flowers. Dividing tulips gives each plant space to grow and encourages large, healthy flowers.

Planting Tulip Bulbs

• Plant tulip bulbs in the fall before the first frosts. Dig a hole for each bulb that is three times the depth of the tulip bulb. Plant the tulips 2 to 5 inches apart in deep, loamy soil, and full sun. Tulip flowers are effective planted en masse or in rows along a border or pathway. Mulch the area over the bulbs in the fall with 4 inches of straw or 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch material such as wood chips, sawdust or leaf mold.