Tulipa 'Pimpernel' (8/v)

RHS Plant Profile
tulip 'Pimpernel'

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Bulbs

A Viridiflora Group tulip about 50-60cm tall, with strong upright stems bearing large, single, bright scarlet-red flowers, the petals mottled and streaked with green, shading to a dark purple-green, and with a small white base, produced in late spring

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
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
Clump forming
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

Viridiflora Group tulips flower in late spring, with cup-shaped flowers flamed or striped with green

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant in mid to late autumn, at a depth of 10-15cm in fertile, well-drained soil. Choose a sunny position, with protection from strong winds and excess winter wet. See tulip cultivation for more details

Propagation

Propagate by lifting and separating offsets. See bulb propagation for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering, and allow flower stem and foliage to die down naturally

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to tulip fire, grey mould (botrytis), grey bulb rot, and tulip virus