Late tulip

Late tulip: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A low bulb 10–15 cm tall, with a flat rosette of leaves and several flowers per bulb.

Leaves

Narrow and lance-shaped, glossy bright green, often lying almost flat on the ground; die back in June.

Flowers

Star-shaped and up to about 5 cm across when fully open; several flowers per bulb, in April and May.

Colour

White with a large, bright yellow centre; the outside of the flower is tinged greenish or reddish.

Bulb

Small, with a brown tunic; it forms offsets and after a few years a clump.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–November

Why grow it?

• A cheerful, low spring flower that returns every year without lifting the bulbs.
• Naturalises in the right spot: after a few years you have a small white and yellow carpet.
• Bees and other early insects visit the open flowers in the sun.
• Small enough for a rock garden, the edge of a border, a gravel garden or a pot.
• Drought-tolerant: the bulb rests in summer and is then perfectly happy in dry, warm soil.

Late tulip: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: the flowers only open fully in sunshine.
• Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky; in heavy, wet soil the bulbs rot.
• Dry to moist; in summer the soil may dry out completely, as the bulb is then resting.
• Lovely in groups of 10–25 bulbs in a rock garden, a gravel garden, along a path or at the front of a border.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.12 m tall, 0.15 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Grape hyacinth: Flowers at the same time; the blue goes beautifully with the yellow and white centre.
• Pasque flower: Hairy purple bells in the same sunny rock garden in April.
• Aubrieta: A purple cushion tumbling over a low wall at the same time.
• Thyme: A low, fragrant ground cover that fills the gap in summer.
• Stonecrop: Low succulents that tolerate the same dry, sunny soil.

Late tulip: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

1. Plant the bulbs from September to November; October is ideal.
2. Plant them 10 cm deep, pointed end up.
3. Space them 5–8 cm apart, in loose groups of at least ten.
4. On heavier soil: put a layer of coarse sand or grit under the bulbs for good drainage.
5. Firm the soil and water if the ground is very dry.

Care

Watering

Not needed in open ground. In a pot, water only if the compost is dry in spring.

Feeding

Usually not needed. On poor soil, scatter a little compost after flowering.

Leaves

Let the leaves turn completely yellow after flowering: this is how the bulb builds up its reserves for next year.

Spent flowers

Leave them if you want it to self-seed; cut them off if you prefer strong bulbs.

Summer rest

Do not plant thirsty summer plants on top that need a lot of water: the bulb likes to stay dry in summer.

Tip: Plant it along a sunny path or by the patio, where you often walk past in April: the flowers only open in sunny weather and are then at their best.

Late tulip: when to prune it?

When: Tulipa tarda is not pruned. At most, you clear away the dead leaves in June.

How:

• Leave the spent flowers if you want it to self-seed and naturalise.
• If you prefer strong bulbs, cut off the seed pods after flowering, but leave the stem and leaves.
• Only remove the leaves once they are completely yellow or brown and come away by themselves.

Caution: Never cut the leaves off while they are still green: the bulb needs them to flower again next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets

Every few years, lift a dense clump in June–July, once the leaves have died back. Separate the offsets and store them dry and airy until you replant them in autumn.

Seed

In the right spot it self-seeds. You can also sow in autumn in a pot left outdoors; seedlings take several years to flower.

Late tulip: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −25 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• It actually needs a cold winter to flower in spring.
• In winter, wet soil is a greater danger than frost: make sure drainage is good.
• In a pot: keep it outdoors in a sheltered spot where the compost does not become waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Bulb rot: The bulbs fail to come up or rot away in wet, heavy soil. Plant them in a drier, well-drained spot.
• Mice: Mice and voles eat the bulbs in winter. Plant them in a basket of fine wire mesh.
• Slugs: They eat leaves and flowers in a wet spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Closed flowers: The flowers only open in sun and warmth. If they are in shade, move the bulbs to a sunny spot in June.

Through the year

• March: The leaf rosettes appear. Watch out for slugs.
• April: In flower: star-shaped flowers that open in the sun. Bees visit.
• May: Last flowers. Let the leaves turn yellow; cut off seed pods if you wish.
• June: Clear away dead leaves. Lift and divide crowded clumps.
• July: Summer rest: the bulb likes to be dry and warm.
• September: Plant new bulbs 10 cm deep.
• October: Ideal planting time. Replant offsets.
• November: Last chance to plant.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Tulips are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they cause vomiting and diarrhoea, in horses too, and in cats and dogs that dig up or chew the bulbs. A tulip bulb looks like an onion or shallot but does not smell of onion when cut. So never store bulbs you lift after flowering with the vegetables in the kitchen, cellar or shed, and label them. Handling lots of bulbs can cause a skin rash (tulip fingers): wear gloves when planting. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name ‘tarda’ is Latin for ‘late’.
• Tulip flowers open and close in response to temperature: they open in warmth and close again when it is cool.
• The botanist Carolus Clusius, born in Arras, played a major part in spreading the tulip through the Low Countries at the end of the 16th century.