Tulips in Florida?

Orange tulips
Tulips at the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C.

Many Northern gardeners who move south to Florida ask about whether they can grow tulips in Florida. The short answer is yes and no.

Tulips need a period of cool dormancy, and Florida’s winters are just too warm to give tulips the resting period they need. However, Florida gardeners can grow tulips if they just think of them as annuals. The trick is to use bulbs that have been pre-chilled for two to four months, and then plant them in the yard in the winter.

The bulbs will bloom once and may hang on for a season, but they typically won’t bloom again. And of course, gardeners who want to enjoy tulips can always purchase them from florists in the form of gift plants or cut flowers.

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