This classic flower is perfect in the garden and as a centerpiece.
Learn more about tulips and tips to showcase them in the garden and inside your home.
How Long Do Cut Tulips Last in a Vase?
Getty Images
If the flower is still closed when you cut or purchase the tulips, they will last longer.
Fill the vase about one-third full with room temperature water and add a packaged flower preservative.
The vase you choose helps determine the look of your tulip arrangement.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
A tall, straight-sided container will support the tulips if you like an upright arrangement.
Choose a lower vase with a wide, outward-curving lip for elegantly draping tulips.
Submerge the vase, making sure all interior surfaces are covered.
Remove and rinse with plain water.
Prepare the Tulips
Cut tulips should be kept in water.
Carefully remove any leaves that will sit under the water.
Avoid getting the blooms wet to minimize damage and potential mold.
They secrete a slimy sap that prevents the tulip stems from absorbing the water they need to last.
Tulips work well with roses, flowering branches, hyacinths, and delphiniums.
Tulips are heliotropic (naturally follow the sun) and will continue to seek the sunlight even after cutting.
You may need to turn your tulip arrangement frequently to keep the stems in the position you desire.
Tulips will also last longer if they are kept away from fresh fruit.
Ripening fruit emits ethylene gas that breaks down the flowers.
Remove the tulips from the vase and refill it with fresh water.
Trim the stems at a 45-degree angle and remove any leaves that now sit under the water.
The small hole will allow trapped air in the stem to escape and help your flowers absorb water.
How Long Do Tulips Bloom in the Garden?
When selectingtulip bulbsfor planting in the garden, you’ll find they are classified as early or mid-season blooms.
If the weather remains cool, garden-blooming tulips typically last one to two weeks once the blossom emerges.
Each tulip bulb only blooms once a year.
Tulips are perennials and can return year after year in the garden.
Tulips bloom in early to mid-spring.
Tulip bulbs should be planted deeply (about eight inches) in soil with good drainage.
Planting in October gives the bulbs time to acclimate and chill during winter dormancy.
