Tulips originally came from a dry, mountainous area east of the Caspian Sea, and they became beloved flowers in gardens across empires and continents. Tulips hybridize well, so over centuries since the 1500s, breeders have responded to changing fashions in the shapes and colours of new tulip varieties.
For over 200 years, Breck’s has proudly offered a diverse collection of tulips for American gardeners. This article will help guide you through the different types of tulips available, so you can choose your new favourite flowers to infuse your spring garden with beautiful colour and texture.
To learn how to plant your tulip bulbs, see our complete guide: How to Plant Tulip Bulbs.
Tulip Types by Height & Bloom Time
Tulip Types: The Classifications of Tulips
Wild and Species Tulips
- Wild and species tulips are the naturally occurring varieties of the flowers. Unlike cultivated tulips, they are compact, but like popular hybrid tulips, they feature bright, vividly colourful blooms.
- Wild and species tulips are excellent naturalizers that will spread and multiply from year to year. Also, unlike most tulips, these types are deer and rabbit resistant.
- Shop Wild & Species Tulip Bulbs
Emperor Tulips (Fosteriana Tulips)
- Some of the earliest tulips to bloom, emperor tulips are known for exceptionally large blooms atop sturdy stems. They are also called fosteriana tulips.
- Elongated petals open wide in the sunshine, creating a luminous display of colour and elegant form.
- Emperor tulips are some of the most reliably perennial types of tulips, which makes them a great choice for low-maintenance garden borders.
- Shop Emperor Tulips
Single Early Tulips
- Single early tulips are famous for their classic cup-shaped blooms and cheerful colours.
- With a compact habit and weather-resistant stems, these reliable performers bring lasting beauty to the garden.
- Well suited to early-season cut-flower arrangements.
- Shop Single Early Tulips
Double Early Tulips
- Double early tulips feature lush, peony-like blooms with layers of silky petals atop sturdy, supportive stems.
- They bloom alongside or just after single early tulips, providing long-lasting colour and fullness to the spring garden.
- These luscious flowers are a favourite for cutting gardens.
- Shop Double Early Tulips
Greiggii Tulips
- These early-blooming tulips have large, bold flowers and interesting mottled and spotted foliage. They are shorter and more compact than most other tulip varieties.
- Greigii tulips are known to return year after year for 3–5 years —or longer—and may even spread in the garden.
- Shop Greigii Tulip Bulbs
Triumph Tulips
- Triumph tulips feature their gorgeous, classic cup shape and sturdy stems.
- Their attractiveness and long, strong stems work together to make them good cut flowers.
- Not all tulips force well indoors, but triumph tulip bulbs are an exception. Begin the forcing process in late summer or early fall to enjoy them during winter.
- Triumph tulips can return for 2–3 years with optimal care.
- Shop Triumph Tulip Bulbs
Darwin Hybrid Tulips (Perennial Tulips)
- Beloved for their large, classic cup-shaped blooms and tall, strong stems that can withstand springtime wind and the rain.
- Grown extensively as cut flowers due to their size, sturdiness and wide range of bright colours.
- Darwin hybrids are among the most reliable perennial tulips, blooming for up to five years each spring.
- Learn more about how to encourage perennial tulips to return in our guide: How to Plant Tulip Bulbs.
- Shop Darwin Hybrid Tulip Bulbs
Lily-Flowering Tulips
- Lily-Flowered tulips have long, elegant stems and flared petals.
- Excellent companions for other late-blooming tulips and beautiful in bouquets.
- Shop Lily Flowering Tulip Bulbs
Fringed Tulips
- The petals of fringed tulips are edged with a delicate filigree that catches the light and plays up each flower’s beauty.
- Plant them to complement other tulips and late-season flowers in the garden and in cut-flower bouquets, and look for double varieties for an even greater impact.
- Shop Fringed Tulip Bulbs
Viridiflora Tulips
- Viridiflora is a botanical term derived from the Latin words viridis (green) and floris (flower). All viridiflora tulips display characteristic streaks of green on their petals.
- The flowers are long-lasting, blooming for up to three weeks, making them a great choice for bouquets.
- Shop Viridiflora Tulip Bulbs
Parrot Tulips
- Parrot tulips have fancy, ruffled petals. As the flowers mature, their petals twist, giving each blossom a unique look.
- Their eye-catching forms were a favourite subject in Dutch Master paintings, and are treasured by floral designers today.
- Parrot tulips flower toward the end of the tulip season, and are a great addition to extend the bloom season in gardens and cut-flower bouquets.
- Shop Parrot Tulip Bulbs
Single Late Tulips
- These extra-large, long-lasting tulips are also known as French or cottage tulips. They can grow up to 28" tall and have shapely, perfectly formed flowers. Single late tulips are heat tolerant and have a regal presence in the garden.
- Shop Single Late Tulips
Double Late Tulips
- Among the last tulips to bloom in the spring, these tulips have plush, peony-like flowers with layers of silky petals. Beautiful when planted on their own, they are also perfect partners for taller single late tulips. Several varieties are wonderfully fragrant and all are outstanding cut flowers.
- Shop Double Late Tulips
Where is the best place to buy tulip bulbs? You’re here! Breck's sources the best quality bulbs, backed by our Lifetime Guarantee.
Choosing Tulip Types for Your Garden: Traits and Uses
Best Tulip Types for Cutting Gardens
Single tulips, double tulips, Darwin Hybrid tulips, viridiflora tulips, fringe tulips, parrot tulips and lily-flowering tulips are all excellent choices for cutting gardens. One of the best tips for tulips in the cutting garden is to simply make sure you plant plenty of bulbs! Tulip mixes and bulk bulbs are an excellent option to grow tulips with a variety of colours, textures and bloom times, at they are great values.
Shop more bulbs and perennials for your cutting garden.
Best Tulip Types for Naturalizing
Wild and species tulips are the best tulip types for naturalizing. Pair them with daffodils, grape hyacinths, crocus and other naturalizing bulbs.
Learn more about the Best Bulbs for Naturalizing.
Fragrant Tulip Varieties
While tulips are not generally known for their scent, Breck’s offers some that are both beautiful and fragrant! Turkestanica Tulip and Golden Charm Tulip are species tulips with a refined spicy scent. Others that are fragrant include:
- Princess Irene Tulip is a triumph tulip with a subtle spicy scent.
- Apeldoorn Perennial Tulip and Golden Apeldoorn Tulip are Darwin Hybrid tulips with a heavy sweet scent. Both are available individually or as part of our Prize Dutch Tulip Collection.
- Angélique Tulip is a double late tulip with a subtle, fresh, sweet scent (also available in our Peony-Flowering Tulip Mixture and Peony-Flowering Tulip Collection.
- Orange Princess is a double late tulip with a honey scent.
- Secret Perfume Tulip and Crème Upstar Tulip are double late tulips with a sweet, clean, fresh scent of sugar and citrus.
- La Delicatesse Tulip is a double late tulip with a sweet, nutty fragrance of almond and pistachio
The Amsterdam Tulip Museum provided fragrance notes for several of these fragrant tulips.
The Most Unique Tulip Types
If you’re looking for eye-catching flowers, fringed, parrot and viridiflora types are certainly among the most unique tulips available.
Tulip Type FAQs
Which tulip types are perennials and come back every year?
Perennial tulips are special because, unlike many hybrid tulips, they come back reliably year after year. Among the best tulip types for perennializing are Darwin Hybrids, wild and species, emperor/fosteriana and Greigii. Once you plant the bulbs in the fall, they establish themselves and often come back for 3–5 years.
Learn more about how to care for perennial tulip bulbs in our guide: How to Plant Tulip Bulbs.
What are the differences between single early tulips vs single late tulips?
Single early tulips bloom early to mid spring, and are shorter and sturdier than single late tulips. Single late tulips bloom in late spring, with slightly larger flowers on taller stems that may need protection from wind or rain. Both are colourful, cheerful and excellent for cut flowers.
What are some of the best tulips for beginners?
All tulips are easy to grow, however, we’d recommend Darwin Hybrid and emperor/fosteriana tulips for beginners. They are reliable growers that can withstand spring weather and yield high-impact flowers. Plus, they are most likely to return for multiple years.
Where can you buy affordable mixed tulip bulbs and bulk tulip bulbs?
Breck’s offers curated selections of tulip mixes and bulk bulbs. These are excellent options for anyone who wants a sweeping mix of colours, textures and bloom times, all at an exceptional value.