WHAT: Species tulips, like this brilliant tulip tarda, return year after year, unlike many hybrid tulips.
WHY PLANT IT: This variety is cold hardy and does not need an extended cold period to bloom, which makes it well-suited for Northwest gardens. It is drought-tolerant once established.
WHERE: It grows best in full sun in well-drained soil without summer water. It is ideally suited for rock gardens or gravel strips.
HOW: Plant bulbs about 4 inches deep in mid-October before the heavy rains of November begin. Add a bit of bulb fertilizer when planting.
Allow the leaves to die back naturally after the blooms have ended so all their energy can go back into the bulb for the next season. Plant in combination with later-blooming perennials to cover up tulip tarda’s fading foliage.
ACTUAL SIZE: Bulbs produce two to seven linear, spear-shaped, gray-green leaves that are about 5 inches tall.
Star-shaped flowers, produced on 6-inch stems, are 3-inches across with rounded bases produced singularly or in clusters of four to six.
LEARN MORE: Go to www.greatplantpicks.org.
Source: Great Plant Picks
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