Tulips have a reputation for fizzling out after a couple of years. They tend to naturally falter, sending up shoots that lack flowers or thinning out until they've all but vanished from your garden. However, if you select the right varieties (and give them proper care), you can enjoy a brilliant display every spring.
To give your bulbs the best shot at enduring as perennials, plant them in well-drained soil, about 8 to 10 inches below the surface—deeper than usual. This will prevent the plant from reproducing, a process that drains the bulb of the energy needed for flowering. And when you're buying your tulip bulbs, prioritize the bell-shaped beauties known for their staying power. Discover our favorite long-lasting tulips for color you can count on.
'Olympic Flame' Tulip
The 'Olympic Flame' tulip is a Darwin hybrid tulip, one of the most reliable groups for perennial performance. Its dazzling golden petals erupt with streaks of red, similar to a flickering flame. This variety grows up to 2 feet tall and blooms from mid- to late spring.
'Peppermint Stick' Tulip
Tulip clusiana 'Peppermint Stick' is a type of species tulip that tends to be smaller and more perennial than most tulips. As its name suggests, this charming flower features alternating red and white petals, reminiscent of the stripes on peppermint candy. This sweet little bulb grows only 10 inches tall and blooms in early to midspring.
'Violacea' Tulip
Is it a crocus or is it a tulip? 'Violacea' tulips will leave you wondering. This dwarf species, which grows only 4 to 6 inches tall, displays cup-shape magenta blooms with an interior black base. But rather than standing upright like crocus leaves, their red-edged leaves hug the ground.
'Negrita' Tulip
'Negrita' is a Triumph tulip that blooms in shades of purple and blue. Its cheery flowers emerge on 18-inch-tall stems in midspring. One of the most reliable varieties in its hybrid group, this pretty pick makes a sturdy cut flower, too.
'Spring Green' Tulip
Yes, green flowers really are a thing. The perennial 'Spring Green' Viridiflora tulip features a band of green running through the center of each petal, transitioning to creamy white edges. This late-season bloomer grows about 16 inches tall.
'Taco' Tulip
Tulip clusiano 'Taco' is a species tulip variety with elongated red and yellow petals and bluish green foliage. It blooms in midspring with flower stalks up to 10 inches tall.
'Red Hunter' Tulip
Your search for a perfect perennial tulip may be over once you discover the Tulipa batalinii 'Red Hunter'. This 10-inch-tall species tulip explodes with brilliant red blooms nestled in blue-green leaves. A variant of a wildflower, it's hardy and able to withstand less-than-ideal conditions.
'Lilliput' Tulip
'Lilliput' is an early-blooming variety of the Tulipa humilis species tulip. Although small—it tops out at 4 to 6 inches— this fire-engine-red flower packs a punch of color, often producing three or four blooms per stem. You'll notice the vibrant blossoms from a distance, especially when they open fully to reveal their purplish-black base ringed with brilliant yellow.
'Lady Jane' Tulip
Prim and proper, the 'Lady Jane' species tulip shows off elongated red-and-white flowers on elegant 8-inch-long stems. It is a midspring bloomer and increases in number every year.
'Honky Tonk' Tulip
Grow this 8-inch-tall variety in your rock garden or flower border, and you'll be singing its praises. Yellow petals painted with peach overtones distinguish the 'Honky Tonk' species tulip.
'Henry Hudson' Tulip
Named for the famous explorer, 'Henry Hudson' has a tongue-twisting Latin name: Tulipa vvedenskyi. This relatively new variety is bound to make history with its large orange-red blooms borne on stems just 6 to 10 inches tall. With their wavy edges, the blue-green leaves add wonderful texture to the garden.
'Flaming Parrot' Tulip
The 'Flaming Parrot' tulip resembles a flamenco dancer with its ruffled petals of brilliant red and primrose yellow. Most parrot tulips fade quickly in the garden, but this one lasts for years if grown in a sunny spot with good drainage.
'White Triumphator' Tulip
Late-season 'White Triumphator' is a graceful lily-flowered tulip that comes back year after year. This pure beauty has large, long-lasting ivory-white flowers, with pointed petals that arch outward. The stems reach 2 feet tall.
'Ballade' Tulip
The 'Ballade' tulip finishes out its season with graceful two-toned petals of deep purple edged with lavender. When fully open, the yellow-centered flowers resemble those of a lily. It grows to 16 inches tall.
'Toronto' Tulip
Coral-pink 'Toronto' tulips, a Greigii variety, bloom in midspring on sturdy 14-inch-tall branched stems, bearing up to five flowers each. These variegated leaf tulips feature foliage with maroon splotches, while the flowers draw you in with their contrasting red-orange insides.
'Orange Emperor' Tulip
The 'Orange Emperor' tulip blooms in early spring with regal cup-shape orange flowers. Each petal has a flaming yellow base. These stocky plants grow to 14 inches tall.
'Golden Parade' Tulip
Stately 'Golden Parade' is a Darwin tulip featuring large, yellow blossoms that look great in the midseason garden, whether lined up in parade formation or at ease in informal beds. The stems may reach up to 22 inches tall.
'Apeldoorn's Elite' Tulip
The 'Apeldoorn's Elite' tulip practically glows with its red- and gold-striped petals in midspring. True to its class, this bicolor Darwin hybrid tulip is a prolific perennial. It can reach 2 feet tall.
'Ad Rem' Tulip
Fragrant 'Ad Rem' tulips are irresistible with scarlet red blooms blushed with orange and yellow margins. This variety is a mid- to late-season bloomer that grows 20 to 22 inches tall.
'Red Riding Hood' Tulip
'Red Riding Hood' is a compact species tulip that blooms in early spring with fiery red-orange flowers borne atop maroon-striped foliage. Like other varieties in this species, it withstands stormy spring weather well and multiplies in the garden.
'Burgundy Lace' Tulip
'Burgundy Lace' is a fringed tulip from France that ages well, forming more impressive clumps year after year. The deep pink blooms with frilly edges appear in late spring on 30-inch-tall stems. Enjoy it in the garden or in cut flower bouquets.
'Persian Pearl' Tulip
The 'Persian Pearl' species tulip is a petite early- to midspring bloomer, growing only 4 to 6 inches tall. Soft pink on the outside, but deep rosy red-violet on the inside, with a brazen gold center, this selection shines in a border.
Turkestan Tulip
In areas of the Mideast, you can still find the white star-shape blooms of Tulipa turkestanica in the wild. The slender 12-inch-tall stems appear above narrow blue-green leaves in early to midspring.
Kolpakowsky's Tulip
The Tulipa kolpakowskiana species tulip invites a second look with its cup-shape blooms on stems up to 8 inches tall. Each bloom stalk produces two or more golden yellow blossoms streaked with red.
'Lilac Wonder' Tulip
Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' is a delightful species tulip with lilac-pink flower petals and a deep yellow base. This midspring bloomer grows 6 to 8 inches tall.
Flax-Leaved Tulip
Tulipa linifolia is a tall species tulip, reaching a height of 12 inches. Its slender stems and elongated petals add to its linear look. The brilliant red flowers with black centers are similar in color to Oriental poppies.
'Tubergen's Gem' Tulip
Also called the candlestick tulip, 'Tubergen's Gem' is a species tulip that lights up the garden with its flamelike scarlet-and-yellow flowers, which stand upright on slender stems up to a foot long. It's a midspring bloomer that will spread over time.
Tardy Tulip
Tulipa tarda flowers in midspring despite its botanical name, which implies it would be a late bloomer. Clusters of white-tipped golden blooms hover just above the blue-green foliage that reaches 4 to 6 inches tall.
'Fusilier' Tulip
'Fusilier' tulip is a bouquet tulip that bears clusters of reddish-orange flowers with yellow centers. It blooms in early spring on stems 10 inches tall. It's a favorite in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden®.
'Unicum' Tulip
'Unicum' is a variegated leaf tulip well-suited to bouquets. Like 'Fusilier', this species tulip bears clusters of red-orange blooms in early spring. However, it grows slightly taller (to 12 inches), and its leaves are edged in creamy white.
'Burning Heart' Tulip
The 'Burning Heart' Darwin hybrid tulip will bring a warm glow to your garden year after year with its creamy yellow flowers streaked with fiery red. It grows to 18 inches tall and blooms in midspring.
'Red Apeldoorn' Tulip
'Red Apeldoorn' glows in the midspring garden with its brilliant red blooms. This weather-resistant variety produces sturdy 2-foot-tall stems.
