Tulipa Little Beauty Bulbs

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Plant Little Beauty, a dwarf tulip, in early to mid-fall, and in early spring this spring ephemeral blooms in fragrant flowers with pinkish red petals, a deep blue center edged in white, and contrasting stamens. Borne singly on strong stems, the showy cup-shaped blooms make excellent cut flowers.

A Tulipa humilis species, Little Beauty has an upright habit. It naturalizes easily, with its sprawling clumps of narrow, linear foliage and showy blooms appearing year after year, possibly for decades in ideal conditions. Best planted in groups, tulips make an excellent ground cover, especially useful for erosion control in spring rains, and they mix well with other spring-blooming bulbs. Consider planting in large sweeping drifts in open woodland areas, in smaller groupings in beds and borders or in front of shrubs, or in masses under deciduous trees. They also make great container plants and can be forced for cheery indoor blooms in winter.

Little Beauty, a cold hardy—to Zone 3—bulbous perennial, is easy to grow and maintain. It grows best in sunny locations with organically rich, fertile, medium moist, well-draining soil. Plant 3 to 4 inches deep. Little Beauty can be grown in Zones 8-10, but it requires an 8-week cold period to initiate blooming. The plant is deer resistant.