Customers often ask how to extend their tulip growing season to enjoy longer periods of spring color. The following is a bloom-succession list for tulip varieties from the earliest Kaufmanniana to the Single Late varieties. Also, when shopping, look for the numbers 1, 2 or 3 on the bulb boxes in the store. These numbers let you know when, in the spring, each bulb blooms.

Kaufmanniana One of the earliest tulips to bloom. Great show of color; flowers are cup-shaped and open flat to resemble a water lily. Good for rock gardens. Grows 8 to 10 inches tall.

Fosteriana Also called the Emperor varieties, these bright tulips are the tallest and largest of the early tulips. Fosteriana grow 12 to 14 inches in height.

Single Early The oldest group in cultivation. These large flowered varieties bloom on sturdy stems after the Emperors and before the Darwins. The Single Early’s range of colors include many pastels, and many are fragrant. Single Earlies grow 12 to 14 inches in height.

Double Early The full double flowers of the Double Early make a graceful impression in the garden. Elegant in bouquets, the Double Earlies grow 10 to 12 inches in height.

Botanical or Species Wide variety of shapes, heights, and colors. These diminutive, strong-growing tulips often naturalize forming dense clumps. Be sure to plant these where they will not be disturbed while dormant.

Darwin Hybrid This hybrid crosses Fosteriana and Single Late for the best mid-season show. Darwin Hybrid tulips have large flowers, strong stems, and clear bright colors. Wonderful in mass plantings, Darwin Hybrids make an excellent cut flower and grow to 24 inches tall.

Greigii Even before the flowers appear, the unusually streaked foliage catches your eye. The full-sized flowers appear mid-season on stems of various heights.Triumph A cross between the Single Early and Darwin tulips, these beautiful bicolored tulips come in a wide range of colors and heights.

Triumphs are excellent for indoor forcing.

Bouquet or Multi-flowering Each stem produces 3 to 5 flowers forming a bouquet. The bouquet’s height and bloom times vary.

Fringed Also known as Crispa, these tulips have a unique fringe on the top of each petal. Excellent for cut flowers Crispa grow to a height of about 24 inches.

Parrot Parrot tulips have large flowers with unusual markings on the petals, giving the appearance of bright feathers. Parrot tulips come in a multitude of colors and grow from 18 to 22 inches in height.

Lily Flowering These graceful flowers with pointed, reflexed petals bloom on long stems and make ideal arrangements. Lily Flowering tulips are very elegant in mixed spring borders.

Peony or Double Late One of the latest blooming tulips, the Peony tulip has peony-like blooms that are very long lasting. The Peony tulip grows to a height of from 16 to 18 inches.

Single Late These late season varieties finish the season with gusto. Single Late tulips are the tallest of all the tulips and have the widest range of color. Heights range from 18 to 30 inches. Single Lates are excellent for cut flower arrangements.