Stretch Tulip Mix

If you’re looking to stretch your definition of what a Tulip can look like, prepare to be dazzled by the spectacular show produced by our exclusive Tulip Stretch Mix. This remarkable blend of 50 different varieties is a dynamic illustration of the diversity of Tulips, and it drew throngs of admirers in our 2021 Tulip trials. The 50 varieties featured in the mix are selected annually by our Dutch bulb partner to showcase a wide spectrum of colors and the broadest possible array of sizes and forms. The mix contains early, mid-, and late-season bloomers in a varied but harmonious color palette. Expect an extended flower show that unfolds over several weeks at a time when the garden is most in need of color and excitement.

50 top-size bulbs of 50 new varieties, with a maximum diversity of color and form. This mixture will change your view of Tulips, and bouquets, forever. Bulbs are not labeled. 50 bulbs cover 12 sq ft. Exclusive.

Tulipa is an enormous genus consisting of approximately 75 species, all of which are, in their original forms, true perennials. In their native habitats (ranging from Central Asia to the Mediterranean basin) Tulips are subject to both long, cold winters and hot, bone-dry summers; they adapted to survive these conditions by returning to dormancy after a spring season of active growth and flower. The cultivation of Tulips goes back over 1,000 years and the 14th century Ottomans are generally credited with the development of Tulipa as a garden plant.

The conditions in most North American gardens don't much resemble the climates in which Tulips evolved, and most modern cultivars are best grown as annuals - planted in the fall, enjoyed the following spring and then replaced. There are several groups, however, that do offer strong multi-year performance. Selections from the Kaufmanniana, Fosteriana, Greigii, and Darwin Hybrid groups are generally considered the most perennial and our Tulip growing guide includes information on the growing practices that are most conducive to repeat performance. In addition to these groups of garden varieties, there are less-hybridized varieties referred to as Species Tulips or Botanical Tulips. Species Tulips are the closest contemporary analogs to the original, "wild" tulip and are the most perennial of all commercially available varieties. They are generally smaller and more demure than the more highly-bred forms; some Tulip connoisseurs consider them the most attractive and garden-worthy of all.

We offer, in most years, more than 100 Tulip varieties, each chosen on the basis of its garden merits. Our descriptions indicate, whenever possible, the group to which the variety belongs and whether the variety is considered an Early, Midseason, or Late Bloomer. These designations are relative - Early, here in Connecticut, means April, Late means May, and Midseason means somewhere in between. Employing varieties from across this spectrum will yield the longest possible season of bloom and the longer one has Tulips in flower, we think you'll agree, the better.

For information on Tulip care, click Growing Guide.