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Tulip planting zones

Tulip (Tulipa) is a perennial. By the type table below, at least one type lives through winter in the ground in 3a–9a; outside those zones, none of the types on this page is rated. Below the types are the dates its year turns on: each zone’s median last spring freeze and first fall freeze, from NOAA records.

Published October 27, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which tulip to grow

Type Hardy in the ground Notes
Darwin hybrid tulips Tulipa hybrids (e.g. ‘Apeldoorn’, ‘Golden Apeldoorn’, ‘Pink Impression’) 3a to 8b, then too little winter The largest flowers of all tulips, on strong stems in mid-spring (Clemson). Clemson names them among the best for South Carolina, after chilling.
Single late tulips Tulipa hybrids (e.g. ‘Queen of Night’, ‘Maureen’, ‘Menton’) 3a to 8b, then too little winter Clemson calls them one of the best groups for warm climates: long, strong stems and deep cup-shaped flowers, 14 to 30 inches tall.
Lily-flowered tulips Tulipa hybrids (e.g. ‘West Point’, ‘White Triumphator’) 3a to 8b, then too little winter Pointed flowers with arched petals in mid-season (Clemson).
Kaufmanniana, Fosteriana and Greigii tulips Tulipa kaufmanniana, T. fosteriana, T. greigii and their hybrids 4a to 8b, then too little winter NC State says species tulips often come back better than hybrids, and Wisconsin that the shorter species types may work better where hybrids fade.
Lady tulip and other warm-climate species Tulipa clusiana, T. saxatilis, T. bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’ 5a to 9a, then too hot or humid Clemson says these come from warm climates, do not need a cold period to flower, and will naturalize in the South.

Zone ranges are a judgement: horticultural convention set beside what the sources below say, not a measurement. “Too little winter” means the type needs winter chill the warm zones do not give it. In the next table the freeze dates are measured, and the count of hardy types comes from these judged ranges.

Zone by zone

Where tulip lives through winter, and when the freezes fall

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals. The middle half of those stations falls within the range shown beside it.

Zone Types hardy in the ground Last spring freeze First fall freeze
3a 3 of 5 only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b 3 of 5 May 18 · middle half May 15 – May 25 September 23 · middle half September 17 – September 26
4a 4 of 5 May 15 · middle half May 10 – May 21 September 27 · middle half September 22 – September 30
4b 4 of 5 May 11 · middle half May 5 – May 23 September 30 · middle half September 23 – October 3
5a 5 of 5 May 9 · middle half May 1 – May 20 October 2 · middle half September 26 – October 7
5b 5 of 5 May 4 · middle half April 27 – May 15 October 8 · middle half October 1 – October 14
6a 5 of 5 May 1 · middle half April 24 – May 9 October 14 · middle half October 5 – October 20
6b 5 of 5 April 25 · middle half April 17 – May 3 October 20 · middle half October 11 – October 24
7a 5 of 5 April 19 · middle half April 11 – April 27 October 23 · middle half October 17 – October 28
7b 5 of 5 April 8 · middle half April 3 – April 16 October 30 · middle half October 25 – November 3
8a 5 of 5 March 30 · middle half March 25 – April 5 November 5 · middle half November 1 – November 10
8b 5 of 5 March 20 · middle half March 13 – March 29 November 12 · middle half November 7 – November 18
9a 1 of 5 March 5 · middle half February 24 – March 15 November 24 · middle half November 18 – December 2
9b 0 of 5 February 12 · middle half January 30 – February 25 December 8 · middle half December 1 – December 17
10a 0 of 5 107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b 0 of 5 70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a 0 of 5 34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b 0 of 5 12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

“Types hardy in the ground” is a judgement, from the type table above. The freeze dates are measured.

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, how many of the 5 types on this page live through that zone’s winter and when its freezes fall, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Which tulips come back

NC State Extension says tulips grow best where winters are cool and moist and summers warm and dry, that their performance usually declines sharply from the second year, and that many gardeners treat tulips, particularly the hybrids, as annuals. Species tulips often perform better than hybrids as perennials. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension says the same of Wisconsin’s wet, heavy clay: hybrid tulips may return for only a few years, so plant the shorter species tulips or treat hybrids as annuals.

In the South, Clemson Cooperative Extension says tulips can usually be counted on for a single season of color in South Carolina and are treated like annual flowers, dug and discarded after they bloom. The hybrid groups it finds most reliable there are the single late tulips, the Darwin hybrids and the lily-flowered tulips. A few species tulips from warm climates, Clemson says, need no cold period and will naturalize in the South: the lady tulip (Tulipa clusiana), T. saxatilis, T. bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’, T. eichleri and T. batalinii.

When to plant tulips

University of Minnesota Extension says to buy hardy bulbs in August to September and plant them as soon as possible, usually mid-September to mid-October in a cold climate, so they grow roots before the ground freezes. Tulips are the exception: Minnesota says to plant them as late as you can get them into the soil. University of Illinois Extension puts the ideal time at about four to six weeks before the ground freezes, and says any time before the ground freezes will do; it is better to plant bulbs than to try to store them over winter.

The zone table on this page gives the median first fall freeze for every half zone from NOAA records. The ground freezes some weeks after that first freezing night, so having tulips in by the date in your row is the cautious side of every rule above.

Planting tulips

NC State plants tulips three times the depth of the bulb, in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, and warns that bulb and root rots follow wet, poorly drained soil. Clemson sets tulips 6 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, and Illinois also says 6 to 8 inches for large bulbs such as tulips. Minnesota’s general rule is two to three times the bulb’s diameter, an inch or two deeper in sandy soil and shallower in clay, pointed end up.

Minnesota covers the bulbs with half the soil, soaks the area, adds the rest of the soil and then 2 to 3 inches of mulch. Illinois plants tulips in groups of at least five and waters them in so the soil settles and roots can start. It says bone meal in the planting hole is usually unnecessary, because most soils already hold enough phosphorus; a soil test tells you.

Supplies

Supplies the sources mention

Each link opens an Amazon search for a plain kind of product, not one we picked. We have not tested these, and we do not rank them.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and changes nothing on this page: the dates are NOAA’s and the advice is the extension services’. Affiliate disclosure

Chilling tulips where winters are mild

Clemson says most bulbs need a 12- to 16-week chilling period to flower, and that without enough chilling they bloom close to the ground on very short stems. To make sure tulips flower in central and coastal South Carolina, it refrigerates the bulbs from purchase until planting in November to late December, in ventilated packages and away from fruit, whose ethylene gas can stop them blooming. Some suppliers sell bulbs that have already been chilled.

LSU AgCenter, writing for Louisiana, refrigerates tulips at least six to eight weeks and plants them in late December or early January, about 5 inches deep and 3 or 4 inches apart; they generally bloom in March and early April. Texas A&M AgriLife in Bexar County (the San Antonio area) keeps tulips in the lower part of the refrigerator until mid or late December, not in air-tight bags. UC Master Gardeners in Sacramento County chill tulips at least 6 weeks in a paper bag in the crisper and plant them in November to December.

After the flowers fade

NC State says to remove spent flower stems promptly if you are keeping tulips as perennials, so they do not set seed, but to leave the foliage until it yellows. Clemson leaves the leaves for at least six weeks after bloom or until they turn brown, so they can build up the bulb for next year. Illinois feeds tulips with a 10-10-10 or a bulb fertilizer once they begin to emerge in spring, but not once they are flowering, which can lead to bulb rot.

Squirrels, voles and deer

NC State says mice and voles are attracted to tulip bulbs, squirrels may dig up newly planted ones, and deer browse the flowers but not the leaves. Clemson says animals often dig tulip and crocus bulbs over winter but rarely touch daffodils, and that the only sure protection is to enclose the bulbs in wire mesh at planting.

Minnesota and Illinois lay chicken wire or hardware cloth flat over the planted area, anchored with landscape staples and covered with mulch; the bulbs grow up through the holes. Wisconsin says an inch or so of chicken grit, about half an inch under the soil covering the bulbs, also discourages digging, and that planting daffodils or hyacinths instead, which are poisonous to squirrels and chipmunks, deters them.

Handling tulip bulbs

NC State’s plant toolbox rates tulips low in toxicity, lists them as a problem for cats, dogs and horses, and says the bulbs carry the most toxin and can cause contact dermatitis in some people. Wear gloves if your skin reacts.

Common mistakes

We found no Florida, Alabama or Mississippi source for tulips that we could read; Texas A&M AgriLife’s Bexar County and LSU AgCenter’s advice cover only chilling and planting dates. Southern variety advice on this page is Clemson’s.

Questions

Why do my tulips not come back every year?
NC State says tulip performance usually declines substantially from the second year, and many gardeners treat hybrid tulips as annuals; species tulips often do better as perennials. Wisconsin says hybrid tulips are not well adapted to wet, heavy clay and may return for only a few years.
Which tulips grow in the South?
Clemson treats most tulips as one-season flowers in South Carolina and names the single late tulips, Darwin hybrids and lily-flowered tulips as the best hybrids there, after chilling. The lady tulip, T. saxatilis and T. bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’ need no cold period and will naturalize in the South.
How long should tulip bulbs be refrigerated?
LSU AgCenter refrigerates them at least six to eight weeks; UC Master Gardeners in Sacramento County at least 6 weeks; Clemson keeps them in the refrigerator from purchase until planting in November to late December.
Can I plant tulips in November or December?
In much of the country, yes, if the ground is not frozen. Minnesota says to plant tulips as late as you can get them into the soil, and Illinois that any time before the ground freezes will do. In the South, Clemson plants chilled tulips in November to late December, and LSU AgCenter in late December or early January.
Are tulips toxic to pets?
NC State’s plant toolbox rates tulips low in toxicity, lists them as a problem for cats, dogs and horses, and says the bulb holds the most toxin.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 27, 2026

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