Perennial Tulips
The conditions in most North American gardens don't much resemble the climates in which Tulips evolved, and most modern cultivars are best grown as annuals - planted in the fall, enjoyed the following spring and then replaced. There are several groups, however, that do offer strong multi-year performance. Selections from the Kaufmanniana, Fosteriana, Greigii, and Darwin Hybrid groups are generally considered the most perennial and our Tulip growing guide includes information on the growing practices that are most conducive to repeat performance. In addition to these groups of garden varieties, there are less-hybridized varieties referred to as Species Tulips or Botanical Tulips. Species Tulips are the closest contemporary analogs to the original, "wild" Tulip and are the most perennial of all commercially available varieties. They are generally smaller and more demure than the more highly-bred forms; some Tulip connoisseurs consider them the most attractive and garden-worthy of all. This page gathers our favorite varieties from these groups; if strong repeat performance from Tulips is what you're after, you've come to the right place.
