8 Great Tulips for Cut Flower Use
There’s nothing quite like Tulips in the spring. After the long dreary months of winter, they are a healing balm to soul and delight to behold.
For most us, fall is the time to plant Tulips for blooms the following spring. Here on our farm, we usually try to get all our Tulips planted before Thanksgiving.
To make “Tulip Season” last as long as possible, we like to plant a mix of “Early” and “Late” blooming types of Tulips, to make sure they don’t all bloom at the same time. Our “Early” Tulips begin to bloom in early May, while the “Late” Tulips bloom in mid May, giving us about 2-3 glorious weeks of blooms.
For the longest vase life, Tulips should be harvested at the “cracked bud stage”, BEFORE they bloom. You’ll know they are ready when you can see bud start to color up. They will open up naturally in the vase. If harvested once they are blown open, the vase life will be much short!
When we harvest Tulips for cut flower use, we treat them as an Annual flower. We harvest the entire plant, bulb and all. They can be stored dry (with no water) in buckets or crates for about 2 weeks in our walk-in cooler before being bunched and sold. When we’re ready to use them, the bulbs are removed from the stems and discarded. The freshly cut stems go into cold water and they are ready to go.
It may seem odd to throw away the bulbs, but once the stem/foliage is removed from the bulb, the bulb has no way of regenerating itself. This is why it’s VITAL to allow the foliage to die back naturally on your landscape Tulips. If you remove the spent flowers/foliage too early, they cannot perennialize properly.
We grow our Tulips in temporary raised beds that are disassembled after the Tulip harvest is over. You can learn more about why we grow this way HERE.
If you’re thinking of growing Tulips for cut flower use, here are a few that I’ve trialed over the years and can heartily recommend!
Apricot Impression
(Darwin Hybrid type, early blooming)
These Darwin Hybrid type Tulips grow impressively long stems! While I normally prefer “double” Tulips that have more petals, these single Tulips were stunning with their clean lines and simple form.
Apricot Parrot
(Parrot type, mid/late blooming)
Parrot Tulips are fascinatingly beautiful. I love the contrasting colors on these Tulips. They look decadent and luxurious. Many people have never seen Tulips like these before!
Foxy Foxtrot
(Double Early type, early blooming)
Foxy Foxtrot may have shorter stems, but all is forgiven when these beautiful cheery blooms open up.
Foxtrot
(Double Early type, early blooming)
A classically beautiful pink Tulip that pairs perfectly with “Foxy Foxtrot”. They are similar in size, height and bloom time.
Sunlover
(Double Late type, late blooming)
I’m normally not a fan of bright oranges and yellows in the spring time… but I fell in love with these. Maybe it’s our ridiculous lack of sun in Michigan winter/early spring. My soul lit up with these beauties bloomed! They are aptly named!
Parrot Negrita
(Parrot type, early blooming)
If I could only grow one Tulip for the rest of my life, it would be “Parrot Negrita”. The color, the contrast, the form…. They are quite possibly the most elegant Tulip I’ve ever seen. They may look oddly shaped and weird when they are growing, but just trust the process. Harvest when the buds begin to swell open. The blooms get even more stunning as they open up and age in the vase.
Double You
(Double Late type, late blooming)
My field notes for this Tulips say “Awesome! Grow more of these!” These Tulips were sturdy, long stemmed and long lasting in the vase. A winner in my books!
Charming Beauty
(Double Late type, late blooming)
“Charming Beauty” is my second favorite Tulip after “Parrot Negrita”. It’s quietly unassuming, but those pale creamy yellow blooms with their sweet scent always steal my heart.