Tulipa 'Christmas Pearl' (1)

Bulbs

A perennial bulb, to around 35cm high in flower, with broadly lance-shaped, grey-green leaves. Flowers are cup-shaped and shell pink, with a deeper pink streak along the centre of the petals and pale pink, near white edges. Early flowering

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0-0.1 metre

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0-0.1 metre
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or 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): H6

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 eaten, and may cause an allergic skin reaction. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
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: Single Early Group tulips grow up to 45cm tall, with cup-shaped flowers to 7cm across, often margined or flamed with a contrasting colour, and flower in early and mid spring

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant bulbs in late autumn, at a depth of 10-15cm (4-6in) in fertile, well-drained soil. Choose a sunny position, with protection from strong winds and excess winter wet. Lift bulbs annually, once the leaves have died down, and ripen in a cool greenhouse, keeping dry over the summer. See tulip cultivation for more details

Propagation

Propagate by division, separating offsets in summer when bulbs are lifted. Replant the largest bulbs in autumn, and grow on smaller ones in a nursery bed for a year. See bulb propagation for more details

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Wall side borders

Pruning

deadhead after flowering and remove fallen petals

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, slugs and stem and bulb eelworms

Diseases

May be susceptible to Tulip fire and tulip viruses, and to bulb rot in poorly drained soils