Tulip 'Pink Impression'

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade can help flowers last longer in warmer areas.

Water

Moderate moisture during active growth; keep dormant bulbs relatively dry in summer.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil; avoid heavy ground that stays wet, especially in summer.

Height

20-24 in (0.5-0.6 m)

Spread

4-6 in (0.1-0.15 m) per bulb

Flowers

Mid-spring; large rose-pink flowers with deeper pink shading and paler edges.

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

Low

• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

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

Difficulty

Easy

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

   1.8 ft (0.55 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 in autumn once the soil has cooled, setting bulbs about 6-8 in (15-20 cm) deep and 4-6 in (10-15 cm) apart.
• Water after planting and during dry spells while leaves are growing; avoid keeping the soil constantly wet.
• Apply a balanced bulb fertiliser as shoots emerge, following the label rate.
• Keep thick, moisture-holding mulch away from emerging shoots and avoid regular summer irrigation over dormant bulbs.
• Lift and separate congested clumps after the foliage has died back; replant sound bulbs in autumn.
• In mild-winter areas, use pre-chilled bulbs or seek local advice on chilling; flowering may be unreliable without sufficient winter cold.

Pruning. Remove faded flower heads before seed pods develop, leaving the stems and leaves intact. Cut foliage at ground level only when it has turned fully yellow and withered.

Early autumn

Buy firm, healthy bulbs and prepare a sunny planting site with good drainage.

Late autumn

Plant bulbs in cooled soil and water them in; use local autumn timing in either hemisphere.

Late winter

Check emerging shoots for slug damage and protect them where needed.

Early spring

Apply bulb fertiliser and water during prolonged dry weather.

Mid-spring

Enjoy the flowers, then remove spent heads without cutting away green leaves.

Early summer

Remove fully yellow foliage; lift crowded bulbs if necessary and keep dormant bulbs dry.

• Plant in repeated groups through a sunny border for a clear band of pink in spring.
• Combine with blue forget-me-nots or white narcissus for a soft spring display.
• Grow in large, well-drained containers near paths or entrances.
• Plant among later-emerging perennials, such as hardy geraniums, to help conceal fading tulip foliage.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, Formal, Pastel border and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: Forget-me-nots, White narcissus, Grape hyacinths, Wallflowers, Hardy geraniums and Peonies.

Wildlife: Open flowers may be visited by insects, but this cultivated tulip is not a dependable source of wildlife food. Deer and rodents may eat the flowers, foliage or bulbs.

• Tulip fire causes distorted shoots and spotted, scorched-looking flowers: remove affected plants and debris, discard infected bulbs, and avoid planting tulips in that soil for at least three years.
• Bulb rot in wet soil: discard soft bulbs and improve drainage, or grow in containers with free-draining compost.
• Squirrels and other rodents dig up or eat bulbs: protect new plantings with securely fixed wire mesh that allows shoots through.
• Fewer flowers in later years: leave foliage until fully yellow, feed during growth, and replace weakened bulbs if flowering does not recover.

Toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people if eaten; all parts contain irritant compounds, with the highest concentrations in the bulbs. Ingestion can cause mouth irritation and digestive upset, and substantial amounts can cause serious poisoning. Handling bulbs may cause skin irritation, so wear gloves if sensitive.

• Tulip 'Salmon Impression' (Tulipa 'Salmon Impression')

  Similar large Darwin hybrid flowers, but the colour is warmer salmon-pink rather than the clearer rose-pink of 'Pink Impression'.

• Tulip 'Pink Diamond' (Tulipa 'Pink Diamond')

  A Single Late tulip with generally more slender, goblet-shaped pink flowers that open later in spring.

Tulipa comes through Turkish from a Persian word for turban, referring to the flower's shape.

Propagation. Separate offset bulbs after the leaves have died back and grow them on until large enough to flower, which may take several years. Offsets retain the cultivar's characteristics; seedlings do not reliably come true.

Accepted botanical name

Tulipa

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