Tulips are a spring garden favourite, bringing much needed colour to pots and flowerbeds. Growers always want to know whether their tulips will return and add vibrant colour on an annual basis.

However, unlike many spring-flowering bulbs, tulips do not reliably reflower year after year. This is due to several factors:

• Soil conditions: heavy, poorly drained soil can lead to bulb rot, which can prevent flowering.
• Climate: tulips need a cold period during their dormancy so as our climate warms, it will affect their ability to reflower in subsequent years. Summers, which are also getting warmer and more humid across Scotland, can be stressful for tulips, which are adapted to cooler climates. This stress can weaken the bulbs and reduce their ability to flower the following year.
• Hybrid nature: many modern tulips are hybrids bred for specific characteristics like large flowers or unique colours. These hybrids often lack the natural resilience of species tulips and may not store enough energy for consistent flowering.

Each autumn, 40 gardeners plant 7 million bulbs at Keukenhof Gardens. The Dutch start this planting in early October with completion by early December.

Tips for Encouraging Tulips to Reflower

• Choose suitable varieties: opt for species tulips, single early tulips, or Darwin Hybrids. The Kaufmanniana group of water-lily type tulips, given the right conditions, will also return reliably.
• Plant properly: choose a sunny area to plant bulbs and plant them 10–15cm (4-6”) deep to give them a better chance of coming back
• Planting time: as late as November or even December can help prevent the onset of the Tulip Fire disease, ensuring a healthy long-lived bulb.
• Provide good drainage: plant tulips in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering. If you see standing water forming in your tulip bed then add something absorbent like bark chips to the soil, or dig them up and move them somewhere a little drier.
• Deadhead spent flowers: this prevents the bulb from forming seeds and allows it to focus its energy on storing for next year’s bloom.

Best Tulips for Reflowering

While most modern tulips do not guarantee repeat flowering, some varieties have a better chance of reflowering in our Scottish climate than others:

• Species tulips like Tulipa tarda and Tulipa clusiana are more likely to reflower due to their natural resilience.
• Single early tulips like ‘Apricot Beauty’ and ‘Purissima’ tend to be more reliable bloomers than double-flowered tulips.
• Darwin Hybrid tulips are larger-flowered tulips, like ‘Queen of Night’ and ‘Apricot Emperor’. They are known for their strong stems and offer a good chance of returning.

There is no guarantee that tulips will reflower consistently in Scotland, but these tips may just increase your chances of enjoying their stunning blooms over a period of years.