Tulips with Impact

What gives a tulip impact? Color is one factor. Brightly colored varieties stand out in the landscape like punctuation marks on a page of text. Size is important as well. Large blossoms on tall stems mean that the tulips will be noticed, even by drivers going by at highway speed. There is also a third quality that is harder to define--drama. Drama can come from the exotic shape of a parrot tulip or a striking color combination when groups of contrasting bulbs are planted en masse. While uninterrupted drama would be tiring, a few surprises make for a fascinating spring landscape.

For sheer size it is hard to duplicate the Darwin Hybrid tulips, which bloom on twenty-two to twenty-four inch stems in mid spring. The big red ‘Apeldoorn’ with its black base stands out, as does the yellow and red-feathered ‘Banja Luka’. For contrast try the Darwin Hybrid ‘Golden Apeldoorn’, which is bright yellow, or ‘Orange Queen’, which sports the national color of Holland. Slender and elegant, the lily-flowering tulip ‘Marilyn’ can reach twenty-two inches tall and stands out with bright red feathers on clean white petals. The yellow lily-flowering tulip ‘West Point’ also makes a strong definitive statement.

Later in the tulip season, usually in May, the tall, single, late-blooming tulips also make a strong impact. ‘Avignon’, with its orange exterior and red interior shouts for attention. ‘Kingsblood’, a big, bold, red variety contrasts well with the classic ‘Mrs. J.T. Scheepers’, which is a bright, clear yellow.

For dramatic shape and color you can’t beat the parrot tulips. This variety has large blossoms with ruffled and frilled petals. The red and white ‘Estella Rijnveld’ is one of the most remarkable. ‘Texas Flame’, red and yellow with a hint of green, lives up to its Texas name and lights up the spring garden.

View all of our Tulips

Groupings of single varieties of green feathered viridiflora tulips, are very dramatic. ‘Spring Green’, which is white with green streaks, is especially striking.
Double tulips, with their large, many-petaled flowerheads, also have impact. Early in the season, ‘Monsella’ compensates for its relatively short stature with a dramatic display of red-flamed yellow petals. ‘Sunset Tropical’ smolders in deep rosy pink. A large clump can stop garden visitors in their tracks.

Sometimes tulips that are relatively subtle by themselves become distinctive in combination with others. The easiest way to achieve good combinations is to pick contrasting flower colors within the same tulip category—for example two contrasting lily-flowered varieties or three contrasting single late tulips.

Almost any combination of yellow, red and orange tulips brings heat and impact to the spring landscape. Tall, dark and handsome, ‘Queen of the Night’ contrasts dramatically with the white-flowered ‘Maureen’. Plant large numbers of both these single late-flowering tulips for maximum effect. Another great combination is the white fringed tulip ‘Swan Wings’, with another fringed variety, ‘Burgundy Lace’. Both are tall and bloom in mid to late spring. The beautiful deep yellow Triumph tulip ‘Ambassador Yellow’ makes a wonderful foil for the dark maroon and white ‘Fontaine Bleu’ for a memorable mid-season show. ‘Orange Princess', a double late variety, finds a stunning consort in ‘Black Hero’.

With so many tulip varieties available, it isn’t hard to find tulips with impact. And when those tulips bloom in the spring, it’s easy to see why seventeenth century speculators risked fortunes to obtain them.