Tulipa 'China Pink'

LILY FLOWERING TULIP
Family: Liliaceae
Pronounced: TEW-li-pa

 

Quick Jumps

Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes

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GROWING GUIDE

Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Bulbs.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: All zones (chilling requirements will be necessary in warmer zones).
USDA zones: 4-8.
Mature size:
Height: 14-16 inches (35-40 cm).
Flowering period:
Late April to early May.
Flowering attributes:
An elegant goblet shaped tulip, with pointed tepals of pink with a white base.
Light:
Full sun to part shade with afternoon sun.
Soil:
Light well-drained, fertile soil on the neutral to slightly acidic side.
Feeding:
When planting bulbs in fall, mix a low in nitrogen organic fertilizer into planting hole and in early spring.
Propagation Methods:
Lift bulbs after foliage has died down and harvest smaller offsets of bulbs. Plant these in a separate bed until they reach blooming size and plant back out in the garden.
Pruning Methods:
Do not prune foliage until it has died back. If flowers are used for bouquets leave as much of the foliage as possible on the plant.

 

Rainy Side Notes

A large swath of these popular tulips stretch across the garden where I can view them from my office window. They begin to color up and open in early to mid April, about the same time as the apple blossoms and Rhododendron impeditum bloom.

Lily flowering tulips reliably come back every year in my raised bed gardens. Soil must be well-drained, because our Pacific Northwest wet winters can rot the bulbs in soggy soils. Lily-flowering tulips are not only reliable, but they also have a look of elegance. I lift the bulbs about every 5 years or so and replant when they become too crowded. They receive a complete organic fertilizer in the spring for established plantings, or I mix into the planting hole when the bulbs are planted in the fall.

This tulip introduced in 1944 by De Mol and A. H. Nieuwenhuis of Holland, was awarded the Royal Horticulture Society's Award of Garden Merit.

More Tulips.

Debbie Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.