Tulipa 'Spitsbergen' (3) | tulip 'Spitsbergen'

Liz Grant

Bulbs

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A bulbous perennial to 50cm tall with grey-green foliage. Deep, wine-red to maroon flowers with petals edged broadly with white, appear in late spring from April until May

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1–2 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or 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, skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten, skin 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: Triumph Group tulips have single, cup-shaped flowers in a wide colour range, in mid and late spring

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant 10 to 15cm deep in fertile, well-drained soil. Protect from excessive wet and shelter from strong winds. See tulip cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by lifting and separating offsets; see bulb propagation

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

deadhead after flowering

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