The month of April is almost synonymous with tulip season. That’s because it’s during the spring that these bright and lovely flowers grow and show off their one-of-a-kind beauty.
But since for the most part many of us choose to be safe and not travel due to the pandemic, tulip festivals all over the world are canceled. This leaves us no choice but to admire these flowers on our screens in the meantime until we can marvel at them once again in person.
One kind of tulip that you would be hard-pressed to find in your local park is the Ice Cream Tulip. These flowers bloom in April/early May and are pretty unique because of their structure and appearance.
Ice Cream Tulips are relatively new, appearing on the scene only in 1999. They were created by the famous breeding and distribution company “‘Vertuco BV.”
A regular tulip has about six petals, but this kind has way more than that. Colorful petals make up the outside of the bulb, and the white petals in the center form a ruffly pattern inside, closely resembling a vanilla ice cream scoop—hence, the name.
The Ice Cream Tulip is considered “double tulips” because of its rare growth pattern.
These tulips come in different colors, but the pink-and-white variant is the most common combination.
Ice Cream Tulips grow from 10 inches to 16 inches tall and are rarely found in most gardens. But if you want to grow your own, you can always purchase bulbs.
However, not everyone gets to grow them successfully. But the lucky ones who do end up with a stunning spring garden.
If you plan to grow Ice Cream Tulips of your own, remember that they can be quite an expensive garden addition. These flowers tend to bloom most actively during the first year and sometimes don’t even come back after, unlike most tulips, which are perennials.
But if they thrive in your garden, the challenge will be deciding whether you want them to remain outside for everyone to see or snip them to make an indoor bouquet. These flowers make lovely cuttings, so you would probably choose the latter option.
Ice Cream Tulips also love the sun, so you should plant them in an area of your garden where they will be exposed to full sun for at least half of the day. Exposure to partial shade should work, too.
While these flowers will grow best in well-drained soil, they can also tolerate the loamy, clay, or sandy types. Their most ideal soil pH is between 6.0 to 6.5.
Here’s another tip: If your tulips droop in the vase, drop an old penny in the water. That’s because coins made before 1981 have enough copper to help kill bacteria in the water and keep the long stems from heading south.
We don’t know yet when the next tulip festival will be, so here are some photos of Ice Cream Tulips that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.
Please share this with your friends and family who love tulips!