Lesson 5
Tulips that come back
Growing image…
Most large hybrid tulips fade after 2–3 years. For long-lived returns, choose 'species' tulips: T. sylvestris, T. turkestanica, T. clusiana 'Lady Jane', T. saxatilis — small, elegant, and they spread by themselves.
These also handle pots beautifully and look like wildflowers — the soft side of tulipmania. Plant them deeper still (15–20 cm) and they will return reliably for a decade or more.
Darwin Hybrid tulips ('Apeldoorn', 'Pink Impression') are the longest-lived of the big hybrid types — choose these if you want size AND perennial returns in a border.
A handful of species tulips scattered through gravel or at the front of a sunny pot looks more like a meadow than a bedding scheme — and asks nothing of you for years.