Tulip Alicante

Tulip Alicante is a stunning and bold double late variety that features bright purple petals. Although it prefers full sun exposure, it also does well in partial shade. This makes it an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a versatile flower for their landscapes.

How are Double Tulips different to single tulips?

Single tulips usually only have six petals, whereas double tulips produce rows of petals, resulting in large, ruffled blooms that are often are sometimes known as Peony Tulips. Double tulips are very showy and long lasting, often blooming into the early summer. They are often scented too.

Planting double Tulip bulbs?

Tulip bulbs will be shipped to you from the middle of September once we have received them. Tulip bulbs need a spell of around six weeks of cold weather to activate them in spring. The optimum time to plant tulips is when the soil has cooled down from October to December, but you can plant as late as January.

For the best blooms, Tulip Alicante should be planted in a sunny position or semi-shade in well-draining soil with a pH of 6.5–7.5, which will keep the bulbs from rotting away over time. Plant your bulbs 15cm deep and 10-12cm apart to promote optimal growth. Double Tulip bulbs need a little more space than singles because of the size of the flower, they also benefit from some shelter from the wind to avoid damage as they are a bit more top heavy. To ensure adequate water absorption, mulch the area around the bulbs with organic matter like bark or compost. Tulip bulbs start with a good source of moisture and nutrients stored within the bulb, so you don’t need to feed, soak, or prepare them at all.

Tulip bulbs produce a lot of roots that don’t like to sit in water, but once they start growing, it is important that they don’t dry out. If planting in pots, make sure they have good drainage and lots of room for the roots to develop. Pots can dry out quite quickly so a loam soil is often best.

How do I store tulip bulbs?

Tulip bulbs can cause problems if left in the soil over a prolonged period of time, they can start to rot, so we recommend lifting them in summer. If you leave the stems in, they should be easy to find. Tulip bulbs produce a lot of roots and develop bulblets from the base of the old bulbs, which can make them fiddly to get out.

Find out more about lifting tulip bulbs >