Plant tulip bulbs from October to mid-December, once the weather has cooled. Until then, store them somewhere cool, dry and safely away from mice and squirrels.
-20%
Tulip cretica
'Hilde'
Cretan tulip
Tulip 'Hilde' is a strain of the Cretan tulip (Tulipa cretica). It is one of the smaller and less blowsy tulip species, with a charm all of its own. It’s a dainty-looker, and so beautiful, yet it is tough enough to withstand extreme winter cold. Producing up to three star-shaped flowers per stem, 'Hilde' starts by opening white, with a blush-pink interior with a deep cadmium yellow throat, and a pale pink exterior accented with darker purple-pink markings. It is rarely seen for sale!
This delightful low-growing tulip is ideal for the rock garden, or front of the border in full sun. It is also well-suited to growing in small pots in an Alpine House or cold greenhouse. Tulipa cretica 'Hilde' likes a gritty, well-drained compost, and will take quite a degree of neglect, although it will do far better, and will increase nicely, if it is fed and watered. As this is a naturally small tulip variety, the flowering sized bulbs are much smaller than normal hybrid tulips.
Quantity
Plant profile
Plant calendar
Choose full sun or partial shade. Improve heavy soil with organic matter and horticultural grit. For containers, use peat-free multipurpose compost with good drainage.
Plant bulbs pointed side upwards, 15–20cm deep and around 10cm apart. You can leave a little more space between them in borders.
Water once after planting to settle the soil. Border-grown tulips rarely need further watering, but containers should be kept lightly moist and never waterlogged.
Remove faded flowers, then allow the foliage to yellow and die back naturally. This helps the bulbs store energy for the following year.
- Botanical name
- Tulipa cretica 'Hilde'
- Tulip group
- Species or Botanical (15)
- Flower colour
- Pink
- Bulb size
- 5/+
- Established height
- 10-20cm
- Established spread
- 5-10cm
- Growing skill
- Easy to grow
- Habit
- Upright
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Leaf colour
- Green
- Mouse resistant
- No
- Plant spacing
- 100 bulbs per m2
- Pollinator friendly
- No
- Position
-
Sheltered
Exposed - Rabbit resistant
- No
- Scented
- No
- Soil acidity
- Any
- Soil moisture
- Free draining
- Soil type
-
Loam
Sandy
Stony
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost - Suitable for
-
Pots
Large containers
Borders
lawns
Gravel gardens
Coastal gardens
Rockery
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens - Sunlight
-
Full sun
Partial shade - Toxicity
-
Harmful if eaten
Skin/eyes irritant - Years to establish
- 1st year
Perfect for pots
Thrives in full sun
RHS Recommended
Perennial
Fully hardy
Packed in paper
Naturalising
Low maintenance
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