Hi there- I'm trying to get tulips this year that are not two year bloomers. i want ones that last several years. Are all the Darwin Hybrids perenial? Does anyone know? Thanks! Erica
Look at bulb catalogs to see which ones mention specific tulips that can be expected to persist ("perennialize").
hello Erica usually the tulips thet persist the best are the mini botanicals such as Pulchella Eastern Star, Daystemon tarda and the like. unfortunately they are the smallest and earliest of the tulips. the trade off with human nature is we all want the biggest and the brightest but you sacrifice longevity (i.e. more than 2 years blooming) for that splash of colour. The mini botanicals open up flat and are only about 6-10 inches tall. they are often fragrant
Erica, I have a little paper that lists perennial tulips and under the Darwin hybrids it mentions these 5 as the best at returning year after year. "Apeldoorn" "Beauty of Apeldoorn" "Holland's Glorie" "Oxford" and "Striped Apeldoorn". There are also other tulips (not darwins) on the list.
Thanks for your answer. So are those you listed all Darwins? So does that imply that some Darwins are not perennial? Erica
All tulips are perennial, enjoying hot, dry baking summers similar to their Asia minor origins. We gardeners define perennial tulips as those able to persist in our irrigated perennial borders, year after year, without a decline in flowering. So, if you have a dry rocky south facing slope that you never water, tulips will grow like gangbusters for you. Simon
Erica, the tulips I listed are Darwins. I suspose some Darwins are more perennial than others, but I'm not an expert. I think Simon is right about the soil & climate being a big factor.
