52 Cheerful Types of Tulips for Your Spring Garden

Gardeners have a huge amount of choices from thousands of different types of tulips when they first start shopping for these bright flowers to fill in their gardens. Many companies organize their various types of tulips into groups to make it easier to pick out the best choices for your needs.

All of these flowers fall into the Tulipa genus, and there are currently 150 species of perennial bulbs with more than 3,000 different cultivars. Tulips are originally from Central Asia, and they went through Turkey to get to Holland in 1560. Tulipa is thought to come from the Persian word for turban. However, many species have been around in Asia since the 10th Century, so the original parentage of many species is currently unknown. However, to this day, almost all types of tulips like well-drained and porous soil with full sun.

If you’re interested in adding different types of tulips to your yard or garden, you’re in luck. We’re going to outline over 50 options for you below to consider.

Tulips are very bright and pretty flowers that bloom very early in the spring months to add welcome pops of color to your landscape. Tulip by ~ kyu / CC BY-ND 2.0

1. Acropolis

This type of tulip gives you a very pretty rosy pink coloring on the flower, and it’ll bloom right in the middle of the springtime. They can also withstand heavy rain and very windy conditions, and this makes them a lot hardier than other options. You should plant them in the fall to encourage the mid-spring growth, and they can get up to two feet tall under the correct conditions. They are best in full sun with well-draining soil.

2. Ad Rem

You’ll get very rich coloring with larger petals with this tulip, including dark red petals rimmed with bright yellow. They can grow up to 24-inches tall and really brighten up your ordinary garden space. If you live in a milder planting zone with fairly consistent temperatures, they can bloom and grow all year round.

3. Alba Coreulea Oculata

This is a very eye-catching type of tulip to plant in your garden as it comes with brilliant white petals with deeper-blue in the center. They usually only get four to six inches high at full maturity, and this allows you to plant them front and center without them blocking the view. They have a star-like appearance that can turn them into a focal point in your yard or garden.

4. Alladin

This is a pretty lily-flowered type of tulip. You’ll get a scarlet colored goblet for the flower shape, and it has contrasting bright yellow edging. They do best in full sun, and you want to plant them in the fall to encourage spring growth. They’re slightly larger at 20 inches tall, so you do want to be careful that they don’t blot out shorter flowers behind them.

5. Ancilla

When you look on the inside of these tulips, you’ll see a creamy white coloring with a yellow center with a red outline. On the outside, this tulip features a soft pink or a rose red coloring. The foliage on this flower has wavy edging, and it gives the flower a very beautiful and unique look. They’re very easy to grow, so they’re a great pick for beginner gardeners.

6. Annelinde

As one of the most popular types of tulips on the market, it can get up to 18 inches high at full maturity. It also comes in several different shades of pink. As a bonus, this variety tends to bloom much later in the spring and brings welcome color to your yard much longer than most tulips.

7. Apricot Beauty

These types of tulips have a pretty peach coloring to them, and they can easily grow up to 16 inches tall. They will grow the best if you plant them in areas where the summers are dry and warm and the winters are cool. It’s a great flower to put in your flower beds as well along with other flowers that have a sweeter scent like Jasmine.

8. Apricot Parrot

The Apricot Parrot type of tulip is one that comes with oversized apricot-pink petals on it with yellow and green striping. The petals also have a fun wavy fringe that can mimic the look of feathers you’d see on a parrot. They do well in full sun, and they can easily reach two feet tall. The stems on this plant are very strong, but you want to plant them in the fall in sheltered spots to give them the best chances.

9. Artist

You’ll get a much more unusual type of tulip with this option. However, it offers very pretty orangish-golden flowers with very soft green feathering. The bloom will last roughly three weeks, and this is longer than many tulip cultivars. You want to plant them in an area that gets full sun, and they can get up to a foot tall.

10. Attila

This type of tulip brings the drama to your space because it has larger petals in a dark purple coloring with shades of pink and rose trim. They have a very pretty scent to them too that makes them a very attractive choice, and their strong stem helps them withstand the elements very well.

The Attila tulip’s dark purple coloring makes it a very eye-catching addition to any garden, especially when you set it against lighter colors. Ottawa – Attila by Humanoide / CC BY-NC 2.0

11. Ballade

This type of tulip offers royal purple flowers that have slightly pointed petals with ivory edging. This tulip can also get up to 20 inches tall, so it’s a good idea to plant it along the sides of your shorter plants. It comes back every year, and you should plant it in the fall in a full sun location.

12. Ballade Dream

The Ballade Dream tulip is a very pretty fluted one with blood-red flowers that have stunning golden yellow edges to provide a sharp contrast. They will come back year after year, and they can get up to 20 inches tall. You should plant them in a well-draining soil in a very bright and sunny location to encourage healthy growth.

13. Big Chief

If you’re after a type of tulip to offer you bright and stunning spring coloring, try this one. It offers salmon-colored flowers that have a yellow base with silver-pink hues. It can get up to two feet tall at full maturity with a thicker stem, and they love the bright sun.

14. Bleu Aimable

You may be very surprised to hear that this heirloom type of tulip dates back to 1910. The pretty blue coloring makes it very unique when you compare it to other tulips, and it looks stunning in a floral arrangement from a cut flower garden. They can get up to 22 inches tall, and they’ll bloom later in the spring months. They prefer full sun, but they can do moderately well in shaded areas, especially if you live in a hotter climate.

15. Bright Gem

This is another perennial type of tulip. You get very rounded sulfur yellow flowers when it blooms and they develop a flush or bright apricot as the season goes on. This is a shorter tulip as it tops out at six inches tall. You should plant them in full sun or very lightly shaded areas.

16. Bright Parrot

If you’re looking for a more bold and bright plant, this type of tulip offers bright orange petals that are very oversized. They have gold trim, and they open so wide during the daytime that they look virtually flat. They’re very easy to grow and maintain, so they’re great for new gardeners.

17. Calypso

With yellow outlining orangish-red petals, these tulips offer mottled purple leaves that look very decorative when you see them. They open fully when you expose them to the sun, and they top out at around a foot high. When they open, they can span four inches, and they can be welcome focal points in your garden or yard.

18. Cynthia

Cynthia is a tulip type that is bi-colored, and it offers rose-red and yellow coloring. These flowers will close up during the nighttime and on cloudy days, and they open completely on sunny days. They can get up to 10 inches tall, so they’re moderately short. You should plant them in the fall in a full sun to lightly shaded area.

19. Daydream

These tulips come in a yellowish-white color, and they have a unique look that has helped them win several international awards. They can bloom during the mid-spring months and easily withstand the rain and wind.

20. Double Ice Cream

This is a late blooming tulip that looks as delicious as the name sounds. These flowers look like a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and they have pretty white petals. They can get between 10 and 16 inches tall at full maturity under the correct growing conditions, and they need partial shade to full sun to thrive.

21. Double Sugar

The Double Sugar tulip looks a little like a rose because it has ruffled petals. They also come in variegated shades of pink that range from dark to light. They can also come in pale yellow and pale green coloring. It’ll get 18 inches high at the peak height, and you need to plant them in a much more sheltered location due to how delicate the petals on this flower are.

22. Estella Rijnveld

Also known as the Gay Presto, this type of tulip is very whimiscally shaped. They come in pretty dark pink petals with lighter pink edges and feathery white spots strewn throughout. They can get up to two feet high at full maturity.

This dramatic type of tulip can be a welcome addition to your garden if you want something with larger flowers that is going to make a statement. Whimsical by Carol VanHook / CC BY-SA 2.0

23. Exotic Emperor

You’ll get pretty bright white tulips with light green striping if you plant these cultivars, and they can also offer a cream color mixed in. They come back year after year if you plant them in favorable conditions, and they’ll top out at 16 inches high.

24. Flaming Purissima

This is another bright white tulip that gets lightly brushed with a raspberry-rose coloring, and it can get up to 16 inches tall. They look the best when you plant them in tight clusters of 12 to 15 bulbs, and they work wonderfully in containers, borders, and beds.

25. Florosa

Elegant and slender, this tulip looks a lot like a lily-flowered variety that has multiple colors, including a deep rose, soft pink, and a creamy white base with lime-green veins running through it. They look fantastic in a vase, and they can last roughly three weeks. This makes them a long-lasting choice.

26. Fosteriana

As an early blooming type of tulip, you’ll typically find them growing wild in Central Asia in the mountains. This tulip has blooms that are an impressive eight inches across, and this earned them the nickname of the Emperor tulip. They’re shorter at 10 inches max, and they have very sturdy stems with bowl-shaped flowers and larger leaves.

27. Foxtrot

Stunning variegated in light and dark pink, this type of tulip blooms very early in the spring and has a very strong stem. They are short and only get around a foot tall under the correct conditions, but they’re more forgiving. They look stunning when you plant them around tulips of other shades.

28. Gavota

This bi-colored type of tulip stands out in your garden or flower bed. It has very vibrant colors in deep maroon that is edged by a creamy yellow. It looks best when you put it in clumps of 12 to 15 bulbs, and it’s very easy to grow. Plant it in an area with well-draining and rich soil with full sun.

29. Giuseppe Verdi

These tulips are very pretty because they have a bright gold coloring with eye-catching wide red stripes on the inside. The outside has carmine strips. They can get between 8 and 10 inches high, and they thrive in more mild temperatures.

30. Grand Perfection

This pretty tulip embodies the meaning of their name as they are grand perfection. It’s a great variety to have as it’ll open up to a creamy yellow shade that slowly turns to pure white as it matures with striking red streaks. It’ll start to bloom in the middle of the spring months and get between 15 and 18 inches tall when it matures. We recommend planting them in an area that gets full sunshine each day with a little shade during the afternoon to stop them from overheating.

31. Greigii

This particular type of tulip is best known for the bowl-shaped flowers that are very colorful and large. They can reach up to six inches across, and they’ll almost lay flat when the sunlight hits them. One of the best features of this plant is the leaves, and they have spots or streaks of maroon. They are also called Turkenstan tulips in homage to their origin.

You’ll start to see flowers in the middle of the season, in early to mid-April. The stem height can range from 9 to 20 inches, but they tend to stay shorter at right around 10 inches. This makes them a great addition to your container garden or rock garden.

Anyone who wants to spruce up their container gardens and add welcome pops of color should consider this tulip type due to the medium size and larger flowers. Greigii Tulip by Charley / CC BY 2.0

32. Heart’s Delight

This is the single most earliest type of hybrid tulip to bloom, and they offer creamy white edges with red petals on the outside. The interior of this flower is a paler pink with a bright yellow center. The foliage is also mottled, and this makes them a very eye-catching focal point in your home.

33. Kaufmanniana

This type of tulip is native to a historical region called Turkestan, and this plant will usually start blooming very early in the spring between late March and early April. They look a lot like water lilies because they have pointed petals that open very flat in the bright sun, and this gives them their nickname of the water lily tulip.

You’ll get larger blooms that can easily stretch up to eight-inches across and they have contrasting coloring. They’re a lower-growing variety, and they have an average height of six inches. Other varieties will only get four inches high.

34. Kolpakowskiana

This older tulip cultivar dates back to an impressive 1844. It’s a stunning perennial flower that has yellow coloring with pink, green, and red streaks running around the outside. The flower can get up to eight inches tall and comes back year after year. Plant it in the fall in a full sun or lightly shaded area for the best results.

35. La Belle Epoque

It would be very hard to find a more romantic dreamy color mix than one that invokes feelings of France in the spring. These types of tulips offer a very Victorian feel to them that adds a very unique beauty level to your garden. You can plant them outside of your window or line your walkway with them to allow yourself to enjoy their charming appearance any time you like. They can top out at two feet tall when you plant them in an area with full sunlight.

36. Lilac Wonder

Lilac Wonder is a type of tulip that offers a gorgeous color combination on the flowers to make them showpieces in your yard. They have a very pretty pastel lilac petal with a deep lemon colored middle. Also, when they open fully, you get a very stunning star shape. They get up to eight inches tall at full maturity, and they do best when you plant them in lightly shaded areas.

37. Mariette

The Mariette type of tulip is another lily-flowered one with a deeper satin-rose pointed petals and a white base. It will get up to 22 inches tall, so you should plant it in an area that is protected by the wind to help keep them upright. They grow best in full sun, and they’d look stunning by your retaining walls.

38. Mondial

This tulip looks a lot like a peony because they have very feathery petals that grow in double rows. You’ll see a brighter yellow center with creamy-white coloring on the petal itself. They top out between 8 and 12 inches tall.

39. Monsella

These tulips are bright, eye-catching red and brilliant yellow in color. Each bulb can give you three blooms, and they can get up to a foot tall. The flowers will open up to five inches across when they bloom in a full sun location.

40. Orange Emperor

This is an extraordinary type of tulip to look at. It has wide, large petals with a very vivid bright orange coloring. There are also black antlers and a pale-yellow base. It’ll get up to 16 inches high and come back year after year. Additionally, another bonus of this plant is that it has a stronger stem to it that will help it withstand rain and windy conditions without breaking.

41. Orange Princess

This peony-shaped tulip has colors that are a mixture of reddish-purple, bright orange, and warmer pink. The petals have a bowl shape to them that is slightly large, and they get between 12 and 14 inches high. You want to plant them in a more sheltered location because the wind and range can damage the more delicate flowers and stems. They offer a very light floral scent.

42. Peony

This type of tulip has a bloom that is so full and lush that it resembles a peony. You can easily plant them around borders or in flower beds and expect them to start blooming in mid to late spring. The typical bloom size is six inches across, and the stems get between 10 and 16 inches. You will need to stake the stems to support the blooms, so there is more work involved with this tulip. Just like an actual peony, they are very sensitive to rain. You’ll want to plant them in a very sheltered spot.

As the name suggests, this tulip looks a lot like a traditional peony with a larger flower, slender stems, and pretty green foliage. They are a more fragile one to grow. 0940 by Marco / CC BY-SA 2.0

43. Peppermint Stick

As the name suggests, this type of peony will make your garden look like Christmas. This type of tulip comes with pointed and narrow white flowers that are striped with bold red lines that resemble the look of candy canes. They grow best when you plant them in the fall months in an area that gets light shade to full sun, and they top out at a foot tall.

44. Pink Diamond

These plants are perfect when you put them with other spring-blooming flowers. You’ll get a rosy pink coloring with a goblet-shaped flower that is slightly lighter in the coloring around the edges. This color is one of the many reasons why this particular type of tulip stands out in your flower bed.

45. Pinocchio

These tulips have a very pretty ivory coloring to them with a bronze-colored or bright red heart. They also have mottled leaves that put the finishing touches on a stunning plant. They open to roughly four inches across during the daytime, and they like to be in an area with plenty of sunlight.

46. Purple Prince

You don’t want to miss out on planting these early-blooming, tall plants in your yard. This type of tulip has a very rich coloring to it, and it turns a royal purple when it reaches maturity. They offer the traditional tulip shape, and they make a gorgeous accent when you mix them with other early-blooming plants like daffodils. They can get between 12 and 16 inches tall in the early spring months.

47. Queen of the Night

This is one of the blackest types of tulips you can get, and it has a very pretty maroon and mahogany hue that is so dark it looks black. This is a very popular type of tulip due to the more dramatic look, and it draws many gardeners in. They can grow up to 26 inches tall, and they usually start to bloom during the late spring months. You want to plant them in an area with full sun for the best results.

48. Rembrandt

Getting their name from the Dutch painter, this type of tulip has a deep purple coloring or reddish streaks running up that were originally products of an aphid-spread virus. They are also called broken tulips for this reason, and modern bulbs won’t carry the virus. There are variable bloom times on these plants, stem heights, and flower shapes. The final product will depend on which class of tulip they mutated from.

49. Shirley

As these tulips open and close, they can change colors. They have an ivory-white petal trimmed with purple when the flower opens and this switches to a light lilac color when it closes. They work very well as cut flowers in bouquets.

50. Species

Also called botanical or wild tulips, you may hear this type of tulip being called the jewel of the garden. They’re descendants of the first tulip, and they’re native to Asia Minor, the Mediterranean, and the Caucasus. They get between three and eight inches tall with a smaller flower size. If you’re looking for a tulip that has a longer life to it, this is the best pick for you. They’re also a great choice in your rock garden or borders.

51. Sylvestris

You’ll often find this type of tulip in woodland areas. It has a very pretty scent, and it’s a wild type of tulip. The flower is bright yellow with a green rib running outside of the pointed petals. It can get up to 14 inches tall, and they grow well in lightly shaded to full sun areas. As always, you want to plant it in the fall.

52. Yokohama Single Early

The final type of tulip on the list is also one of the earliest ones to bloom. They open right alongside daffodils and tend to last for weeks. They have a very unique cup shape and flowers with six petals, and they get between 10 and 18 inches high. They’re also one of the few tulips that have a scent. You can pair them with clematis and peonies to create a wonderful spring-themed bouquet.

Bottom Line

You should plant your tulip bulbs in the fall, but you don’t have to wait until the spring to enjoy their stunning colors. They’re a traditional cut flower that can help brighten up darker days during the colder winter months. You can mix and match the tulips you buy and plant to get a colorful show all spring long.