Species Tulip Turkestanica is a petite, early spring heirloom that dates back to the 1800s and brings old-world charm to modern gardens. Each slender 8-inch stem produces 3 to 5 delicate star-shaped blooms with silvery dove-grey outer petals that open to reveal ivory and golden-yellow centers, creating a striking color contrast. The ruffled blue-green foliage adds textural interest even before the flowers emerge. Hardy in zone 4, this naturalizing species tulip thrives in full sun and quickly becomes a beloved spring fixture along walkways and in rock gardens.
Full Sun
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4-4
8in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The abundance of blooms per stem sets this variety apart from larger tulip cultivars; you'll get multiple flowers from a single planting, stretching the spring show across several weeks. Its diminutive stature and multi-flowering habit make it exceptionally effective for edging borders and tucking into tight garden spaces, while the ruffled foliage and star-shaped flowers create an almost ethereal quality when sunlight catches them. Bees are magnetically drawn to these blooms, making this heirloom a valuable early-season nectar source for pollinators just as they emerge from winter.
Species Tulip Turkestanica is grown as an ornamental flower for spring garden displays. Its compact stature and multi-flowering stems make it particularly suited to naturalized plantings in rock gardens, alpine beds, and along walkways where its delicate flowers and ruffled foliage can be appreciated up close. The abundant blooms and bee-attracting flowers also make it valuable in pollinator gardens and meadow plantings.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Plant bulbs in autumn, approximately 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes in your area, which allows root development before winter dormancy. Position bulbs in well-drained soil at a depth of roughly 3 inches (measured from the bulb's base to soil surface). Space bulbs 2-3 inches apart. Tamp soil gently and water in to settle the planting medium.
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“This species tulip carries the charm of an 1800s heirloom, a time when tulip enthusiasts were actively cultivating diverse botanical species rather than only the large hybrid forms we know today. Turkestanica speaks to its origins in the mountainous regions of Central Asia, where wild tulips have flourished for millennia. The fact that this variety has survived and been preserved through seed catalogs into the present day reflects a dedicated community of gardeners and seed keepers committed to maintaining these elegant, smaller-flowered species alongside the more modern, showy cultivars.”