Tulipa humilis 'Helene' (15)

RHS Plant Profile
tulip 'Helene'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Tulipa humilis 'Helene' (15)?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
tulip 'Helene' visionspictures.com
tulip 'Helene' visionspictures.com
tulip 'Helene' visionspictures.com
Bulbs
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
2 Suppliers

A dwarf perennial bulb with narrow, linear green leaves, and violet-pink flowers that begin cup-shaped and open out to star-shaped. Flowers in early to mid spring, and stands to about 15cm high. A good option for naturalising

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Liliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eatenskin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eatenskin allergen - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Tulipa are bulbous perennials with characteristic flowers, in a wide range of colours, in spring
Name Status
Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Miscellaneous tulips include all species and hybrids not otherwise classified

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from strong winds and excess winter wet. See tulip cultivation for more details

Propagation

Propagate by division, separating offsets in summer. See bulb propagation for more details

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering and remove fallen petals

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, aphids and stem and bulb eelworm; squirrels may eat the bulbs

Diseases

May be susceptible to tulip fire and bulb rot in poorly drained soil