Caring for Fosteriana Tulips
Fosteriana tulips, like all tulip bulbs, require well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of bright sunlight per day. Tulips do best in soil that is relatively dry in summer and well-drained in winter. Wet, boggy soil in winter quickly leads to bulb rot. The best time to plant tulips bulbs is mid-fall when the nighttime temperatures consistently hover in the 40s. Prepare the planting bed, breaking up any soil clods as you dig a 6- to 8-inch-deep planting trench. Place the bulbs 6 inches apart in the bottom of the trench and cover them with loose soil. Water tulips well after planting. Once planted, tulips are relatively low maintenance. Water emerging bulbs in spring if rainfall is limited. Allow foliage to stand in the garden after blooming until it turns completely yellow. The living foliage is producing nutrients for next year’s flower crop. After foliage fades, cease watering.
More Varieties of Tulip, Fosteriana Hybrids
‘Juan’ Tulip
ThisTulipa variety has a striking combination of mottled foliage and orange-red flowers with a warm yellow base. These grow 16–18 inches tall. Zones 3–8
‘Purissima’ Tulip
Tulipa fosteriana ‘Purissima’ is also sometimes called ‘White Emperor’ in the horticultural trade. Pale primrose-yellow buds open to pure white flowers on stems to 18 inches tall in early to midspring. Blooms are fragrant. Zones 3-8
‘Madame Lefeber’ Tulip
Tulipa fosteriana ‘Madame Lefeber’ is also sometimes called ‘Red Emperor.’ An heirloom, introduced in 1931, it features brilliant red flowers that have a black base rimmed in yellow on the inside. It stands 16 inches tall. Zones 3-8
‘Sweetheart’ Tulip
ThisTulipa cultivar is an early-season bloomer that bears lemon-yellow blooms with a broad ivory white edge. It grows 18 inches tall. Zones 3-8
‘Orange Emperor’ Tulip
This selection ofTulipa is a good perennializer with glowing orange blooms with a base of yellow. It grows 14 inches tall. Zones 3-8
