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.
Purple-magenta blooms against dark foliage makes a bold statement in your garden, and Tulip pulchella violacea has an interesting story behind it that’s well worth knowing. Tulips grow in the wild in Turkey, and a Dutch botanist took a few bulbs along with him after a visit there. They caused a sensation, and the rest, as they say, is history. Tulip pulchella violacea is one of those botanical varieties, and although it can never achieve the flamboyance of its hybrid cousins, it’s nevertheless a very attractive plant with a significant advantage: it will keep on producing beautiful flowers year after year.
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 humilis Violacea Group
- Tulip group
- Species or Botanical (15)
- Flower colour
- Pink
- Bulb size
- 6/+
- Established height
- 10-20cm
- Established spread
- 10-20cm
- 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
Meadows
Gravel gardens
Coastal gardens
Rockery
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens - Sunlight
-
Full sun
Partial shade - Toxicity
-
Skin/eyes irritant
Harmful if eaten - Years to establish
- 1st year
Tulip pulchella violacea reviews
[rating] out of 5 stars Verified buyerProduct review textProduct reviewer![]()
![]()
![]()
Expert care from
choice to delivery
Our horticulturalists prepare every bulb and plant with the utmost care. From selection to packing, each one receives expert attention before beginning its journey to your garden.