Northwest Blooms · Bulbs
Tulipa clusiana
Lady Tulip
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Height
- 6 to 12 in
- Width
- 4 to 6 in
- Flower color
- White or cream inside with outer tepals edged in red or pink
- Foliage color
- Narrow, linear gray-green leaves
- Bloom time
- Early to mid spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low, remove spent flowers
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Wildlife
- Occasional visits from bees
About this plant
Tulipa clusiana sends up slender, gray-green leaves and elegant flowers that respond to light, opening wide on sunny days and closing again in evening or cloud. The outer petals show rosy red with pale edging, while the interior is creamy white with a small, darker basal mark, creating a clean two-tone effect.
A species tulip, it bears pointed, bowl-shaped blooms that become star-shaped as they open, flowering in early to mid-spring. Native from northern Iraq and Iran east to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the western Himalaya, it suits rock gardens, gravel borders, and naturalized drifts where bulbs can multiply, and it also performs well in containers and along paths.
Works well in
Borders · Sun Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Rock Gardens · Containers
Companion plants
Salvias · Shasta daisies · Asters · Grape hyacinths · Black-eyed Susans · Daylilies
Design tip
The early flowers arrive when the garden is still waking up, so give it a spot you pass often in spring. Drift them in uneven groups for a natural look, and interplant with perennials that fill the gap after the leaves die back.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at Roozengaarde.
