Is a Tulip an Annual?

Perennial

• Perennial plants last longer than two years, while annual plants die after one years. The tulip survives for more than two years, which makes them perennials. Gardeners typically plant tulip bulbs in the fall and wait for them to bloom in next growing season. Depending on the variety planted, the tulips might produce vivid blooms for years. You should contact your local garden center or county extension for advice on what varieties is most likely bear blooms for the long term.

Treated as Annual

• Although tulips technically do not fall under the annual classification, some gardeners treat them as such by digging up the plants after one growing season. They then discard the old bulbs and plant new ones to replace them. The reason for this is that many varieties of tulips do not bloom strongly after the first year or two. Some gardeners feel satisfied to have one good season of flowering, since replacing the bulbs is a relatively simple task.

Cultivars

• Growers have produced many varieties and cultivars of tulips to keep up with the demand from gardeners. One reason for the existence of some cultivars is the attempt by growers to find varieties that ''perennialize" or bloom strongly for season after season. Researchers at the University of Kentucky have identified certain cultivars that tend to perennialize better than others. These include the Darwin Hybrids, the Fosterianas, the double late, single late and single early cultivars.

Miscellaneous

• A Viennese ambassador introduced tulips to Europe when he sent some seeds to Austria in the mid-16th century. Blooms typically appear singly at the end of the stem and come in very color except true blue, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Tulips thrive in slightly acidic well drained soils. Tulip enthusiasts call flowers with streaks "broken." When planting tulip bulbs, place the bulb 4 to 8 inches deep in composted soil for best results.