Tulipa is a genus in the Liliaceae family from Europe, western Asia to central Asia and North Africa. There are about 100 species and thousands of cultivars. Although very popular, it is not always easy to grow. Gardeners in warm climates find they do not have the cold temperatures required to iniate bloom and except for the first year after purchasing may only see leaves. To continue to have blooming plants, bulbs must be lifted and refrigerated for 4 to 6 weeks before planting in late fall. Tulips are also prone to disease. Tulip fire (Botrytis tulipae) can cause eventual loss of the bulbs as it is retained in the soil and withered skins of the bulbs. Tulips are also prone to virus. There are photos and information about the different viruses that plague this genus on our wiki Virus page. A few of the same photos below by Janos Agoston show examples of this:
Dwarf tulips was the topic of the week for the PBS list in February 2004. Mark McDonough supplied the Introduction.
Photos of representative species are shown below.
Information and pictures of a specific species or hybrid cultivar can be found by looking on the wiki Tulipa pages or by clicking on the specific link in the table below.
For more pictures and information see the Botanical Tulips Association