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Are Tulips Annuals?

Are Tulips Annuals?

Are Tulips Annuals?

These Much-Loved Blooms are the Stars of the Spring Garden - but are Tulips Annuals or Perennials?

Tulips are one of the most widely grown fall-planted flower bulbs and come in a
vast array of colors, shapes, and sizes; they embellish the garden with their jewel
shades from March through May. If they are cared for properly, tulips will come
back year after year although many gardeners prefer to treat tulip bulbs as annuals
and discard them after blooming.


Are Tulips Annuals In The Wild?

Tulips originate in mountainous regions of Turkey and Central Asia, where the
winters are cold and wet and the summers are hot and dry. In their natural
environment, they form large colonies that come back year after year. Few regions
of North America can replicate these conditions and some tulip varieties are unlikely
to bloom again unless you take special care of them.


Are Tulips Perennials or Annuals In The Garden?

Species tulips, the small botanical varieties that thrive in rockeries and under trees,
will often naturalize and form colonies that rebloom. Of the larger tulips, Triumph,
Emperor and Darwin varieties are the most likely to bloom a second season. Tulips
need a period of dry to induce dormancy so once the leaves have shriveled, it’s best to dig up the bulbs you want to rebloom. Store them in a dry place in a paper sack or net before replanting them in fall.


Do Tulips Come Back Every Year In Pots?

Tulips make a fabulous display when planted densely in pots but grown under these
conditions, the bulbs are placed under more stress than if they were planted in the
garden. For this reason, it’s best to treat these tulips as annuals - discard the bulbs
after blooming and plant fresh ones in the fall.

Whether you treat them as annuals or perennials, tulips are essential for your
spring garden. Explore our stunning tulip collection, where you’ll find an unrivaled
selection of time tested favorites and gorgeous new varieties.

Meet Ben, our Flower Bulb Specialist
Meet Ben, our Flower Bulb Specialist

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