Tulipa Kunyun Tulip Bulbs

Plant Tulipa Kunyun bulbs in early to mid-fall, and in mid-spring they bloom in bicolored pink and yellow flowers. As the flowers open, they display cream to yellow petals with salmon-colored margins. Borne singly on strong, sturdy stems that rise to 20 inches tall, the sizable egg-shaped blooms sit atop an attractive basal rosette of long, linear, gray-green leaves that add to the plant's overall appeal. They create a playful, long-lasting display in the garden, where they attract and sustain early emerging pollinators, particularly bees; but they're ideal cut flowers for spring bouquets or mixed floral arrangements.

Kunyun is a Darwin hybrid tulip with an upright habit and a long flowering period. Among the best tulips for naturalizing, Darwin tulips may reappear year after year in ideal conditions. Best planted in groups, tulips make excellent ground cover, especially useful for erosion control in spring rains, and their colorful flowers always complement other spring-blooming bulbs in the garden. They create stunning displays whether planted in large sweeping drifts—especially lovely in open woodland areas—or in smaller groupings in beds, borders, and along walkways. Tulips make great container plants and can be forced for cheery indoor blooms in winter.

Kunyun tulips are cold hardy to Zone 3. They grow easily in sunny spots with average, well-drained soil; but they tolerate a wide range of soils, including clay, loamy, sandy, and acidic soils. Remove the flowers promptly as they fade, cutting the stem to 1 inch below the flower; but leave the stems and foliage to gather energy for next season's flowers. Prune out the foliage only after it's turned yellow and is drooping to the ground.