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Bulbs

Tulipa 'Vanilla Cream' (14)

tulip 'Vanilla Cream'

A perennial bulb to 45cm, unusually tall and robust for a Greigii type, with grey-green, lance-shaped leaves, striped with purple. Pale creamy-yellow, fragrant flowers are carried on dark stems in early to mid-spring

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0–0.1 metre

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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)

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: Greigii Group tulips have large, single, bowl-shaped flowers in the range yellow to red, often with contrasting margins, and flower in early and mid-spring; the grey-green leaves are usually mottled with purple or maroon

How to grow

Cultivation

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

Propagation

Propagate by lifting and separating offsets

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

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 and bulb rot in poorly drained soil

Get involved

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