Queen of Night tulip

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade is useful in warmer spring climates.

Water

Water during active growth if the soil becomes dry. Keep dormant bulbs relatively dry in summer and avoid waterlogged soil at any time.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline. Improve drainage or use containers if your soil stays wet.

Height

2-2.5 ft (0.6-0.75 m)

Spread

0.3-0.5 ft (0.1-0.15 m) per bulb

Flowers

Late spring; single, cup-shaped flowers in very dark maroon-purple, not true black.

Foliage

Broad, upright, grey-green leaves that yellow and die back after flowering.

Growth

Fast seasonal growth; reaches flowering height in one spring.

Care needed

Medium

• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.2 ft (0.68 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant bulbs in late autumn, about 6-8 in (15-20 cm) deep and 4-6 in (10-15 cm) apart.
• Water after planting, then during dry spells while leaves and flowers are growing.
• Apply a balanced bulb fertiliser as shoots emerge, following the label rate.
• Let the leaves yellow naturally; do not tie them into bundles or cut them while green.
• Where summers are wet, lift bulbs after the leaves die, dry them and store somewhere cool, dry and ventilated until autumn.
• In warm-winter areas, use pre-chilled bulbs and expect to replace them each year; local chilling requirements vary.

Pruning. Remove faded flower heads before seed pods develop, leaving the stems and leaves to feed the bulbs. Cut away foliage only when it has turned yellow and withered.

Autumn

Buy firm, healthy bulbs and prepare a sunny site with free-draining soil.

Late autumn

Plant bulbs once the soil has cooled; water them in and protect from digging squirrels where necessary.

Early spring

Feed emerging shoots and water if rainfall is scarce.

Late spring

Enjoy or cut the flowers, and remove spent flower heads before seed pods form.

Early summer

Allow leaves to yellow fully before clearing them; lift bulbs if their summer resting place would be wet.

Summer

Keep dormant bulbs dry and discard any lifted bulbs that are soft, mouldy or damaged.

• Plant in repeated groups among white, cream or pale pink tulips for strong spring contrast.
• Thread through sunny perennial borders, where later growth can hide the dying leaves.
• Use in deep, well-drained containers with white violas or forget-me-nots.
• Plant in rows or blocks in a cutting garden for long-stemmed spring arrangements.

Garden styles it suits: Formal, English country, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, Contemporary minimal and Blues and silvers.

Plant it with: Forget-me-nots, White violas, Wallflowers, Catmint, Hardy geraniums and White tulips.

Wildlife: Offers some pollen to visiting insects, but is not a particularly valuable wildlife planting. Deer may eat the flowers and leaves, and rodents may eat the bulbs.

• Tulip fire causes distorted shoots and spotted or scorched-looking leaves and flowers: remove affected plants and fallen debris, and avoid replanting tulips in that soil for at least three years.
• Bulb rot in wet soil: improve drainage, avoid summer irrigation over dormant bulbs and discard soft bulbs.
• Squirrels and other rodents dig up or eat bulbs: protect newly planted beds with securely fixed wire mesh, removing surface mesh before shoots emerge.
• Weak or absent flowering in later years: retain green foliage, provide sun and feeding, and replace bulbs if they fail to recover; insufficient winter chill also prevents reliable flowering.

Toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people if eaten. All parts contain irritant compounds, with the highest concentrations in the bulbs; ingestion can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in serious cases, more severe illness. Bulb handling can also cause contact dermatitis, so wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.

• Black Hero tulip (Tulipa 'Black Hero')

  Has densely double, peony-like dark flowers rather than the single cup-shaped flowers of 'Queen of Night'.

• Ronaldo tulip (Tulipa 'Ronaldo')

  Usually shorter and earlier flowering, with dark burgundy-purple cups; it belongs to the Triumph group rather than the Single Late group.

The cultivar name 'Queen of Night' refers to the flowers' exceptionally dark, almost black appearance.

Propagation. Separate healthy offset bulbs after the foliage has died down and replant in autumn. Small offsets may need several years to flower; seed does not reliably produce plants identical to this cultivar.

Accepted botanical name

Tulipa

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.