Growing Guide
 
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Tulip, Humilis

Spring-Flowering Bulb

Tulipa humilis
Liliaceae Family
Synonym: Tulipa pulchella var. humilis

Humilis Tulips grow less than a foot tall and have yellow-eyed pink or purple blooms. The blooms often have yellow or white margins, and showy green or black markings.

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Site Characteristics
Sunlight:
  • full sun

Soil conditions:

  • requires well-drained soil

Hardiness zones:

  • 4 to 8

Special locations:

  • rock gardens
Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.75 to 1 feet

Spread: 0.25 to 0.5 feet

Bloom time:

  • early spring
  • mid-spring

Flower color:

  • violet
  • white
  • pink

Blooms are usually pink or purple with yellow centers. 'Alba Caerulea Oculata' has white blooms.

Foliage color: gray-green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape: upright

Shape in flower: flower stalks with flowers as cups

Blooms may be solitary or in pairs.

Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
  • non-aggressive
  • non-invasive
  • not native to North America - Native from Asia Minor to the Himalayas.
Growing Information
How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Divide the bulbs in the fall, when clumps have become overcrowded. Plant the bulbs 5" beneath the soil surface.

Maintenance and care:
Remove faded flowers after blooming. After spring blooming, allow the foliage to die back (about 6 weeks) before cutting back. Do not cut back unfaded foliage.

More growing information: How to Grow Bulbs

Pests:
Slugs and snails
Aphids

Diseases:
Bulb rot
Root rot
Gray mold
Nematodes
Varieties
'Alba Caerulea Oculata': fragrant white blooms with blue eyes.

'Eastern Star': deep magenta-rose blooms with yellow bases and golden/green outer flushing.

'Lilliput': yellow-eyed reddish purple blooms.

'Magenta Queen': yellow-eyed pale lilac blooms. The outsides of the outer petals are marked with yellow-green flames.

'Odalisque': bright reddish-purple blooms tinted with silver on the outside, with inner yellow eyes.

'Persian Pearl': deep violet bloosm with yellow eyes. The outer surfaces of the petals are washed with silver.

'Pulchella': pale reddish purple blooms with deep blue eyes.

'Rosea': yellow-eyed pale violet blooms.

'Violacea Black Base': black-eyed bright violet blooms.

'Violaceae Yellow Base': bright violet blooms with yellow eyes.

'Violet Queen': yellow-eyed deep purple-red blooms.