Are Tulips a Seed Plant?

About Species Tulips

• Also known as botanical tulips, these descendents of the first wild tulips generally breed true from seed. They spread by self-sown seed or stolons. These tulips are different from their hybridized cousins, and most flower early in the season. Species tulips are shorter, growing just 4 to 12 inches high and many varieties have attractive variegated foliage. Others have multiple blooms per stem. They grow well in rock gardens and prefer not to compete with other plants and flowers close by.

Varieties of Species Tulips

• Favorite species tulip varieties include the dwarf Tulipa dasytemon, which produces attractive violet and yellow flowers, T. linifolia grows 4 to 6 inches tall and produces bright red flowers, T. sylvestris grows 10 to 12 inches tall with three to seven fragrant yellow flowers, and T. pulchella, another dwarf variety, grows 3 to 5 inches tall and producing violet-colored fragrant flowers in early spring.

Hybrid Garden Tulips

• There are thousands of varieties of tulips, and they are considered to be the most popular of all the bulbous garden plants. The Turks were the first to develop the garden tulip and they quickly spread through Europe. The Dutch are the most well-known for breeding tulips. Most tulips are tall-stemmed producing a single flower, and they range in color from white to yellow to brilliant reds and purples, and even black.

Tulip Planting Tips

• When planting species tulips for the first time, gardeners will need to purchase the bulbs, but thereafter they will naturalize throughout the area. This type of tulip requires full sun and does best in gravelly soils that drain quickly. Planting on a gentle slope or raised bed can ensure good drainage. Containers work well too. Plant bulbs 3 to 6 inches deep and about 3 inches apart. Unlike their Dutch-bred cousins, species tulips do not require a freezing period in order to blossom. Hybrid tulip bulbs grow best in well-drained, loamy soil. Enriching the bed with well-rotted manure or compost ensures sturdy plants and large flowers that will bloom well for several years. The best time to plant is two to four weeks before the ground freezes. Plant bulbs 4 to 8 inches deep, depending on the size of the bulb.