7 Tulips That Bloom in North Dakota

Written by Heather Hall
Published: February 15, 2023
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The Tulip is an ancient flower, originally growing wild in Central Asia. It was first grown by the Turks over a thousand years ago, and a craze for these blooms emerged during the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip” is derived from the Turkish word for turban. Today, many varieties of this flower can flourish in North Dakota.

Today, you can find tulips blooming all over the world! Here are a few of our favorite varieties for gardeners in North Dakota.

Tulips in North Dakota: Climate

Flag of North Dakota waving in the wind

North Dakota has a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers.

©Larich/Shutterstock.com

The gardening climate in North Dakota can vary depending on the region. North Dakota has a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Winters are usually long, with temperatures regularly dropping below freezing, while summers are usually short but often very warm or even hot.

The growing season is generally fairly short but can last up to 120 days in some parts of the state. Rainfall is moderate throughout most of the year, though it does tend to be slightly higher during the spring and summer. Gardening in North Dakota requires understanding these temperature extremes and how much sunlight and water plants will need to thrive in this climate. Tulips, for example, prefer cooler temperatures and plenty of moisture, making them ideal for planting in North Dakota gardens!

Types of Tulips For North Dakota

Tulips are hardy in USDA zones 3-8, which encompasses most of North Dakota. A few areas get down a wee bit under the recommended winter temperatures, but with a thick layer of mulch, these hardy tulips will do just fine. Here are our favorites!

1. Couleur Cardinal

This single early tulip is deep red with a slight purple blush, which adds to the decadent feeling of the bloom. Thick, sturdy stems will have no problem standing up to fierce spring storms. This old variety has been cultivated since 1845 and is still a fan favorite. It grows to 14 inches tall and looks lovely planted with white varieties.

2. Don Quichotte

A bed of pink Don Quichotte Tulips with a sign

A bed of pink Don Quichotte Tulips.

©Flower_Garden/Shutterstock.com

This tulip has won several awards for its attractive blooms. The flowers are magenta with a purple sheen at the base. They bloom in the middle of spring and are long-lived. You rarely need to replant them more than every ten years! These grow 18-20 inches tall and have strong stems that hold up well in a vase.

3. Orange Emperor

Garden of Orange Emperor Tulips in bloom

Garden of Orange Emperor Tulips in bloom.

©Andrew Fletcher/Shutterstock.com

This tulip is the color of a creamsicle. Bright, vibrant orange with a hint of yellow at the base and dark black anthers. The foliage is thick and strappy, and the stems are strong. This variety grows 16-18 inches tall and flowers in mid-spring.

4. Tulips in North Dakota: Parade

This deep scarlet tulip has won many awards. These tulips are enormous – up to six inches wide! They flower in mid-spring and grow to 20-22 inches tall. They are another long-lived variety that does not need constant refreshing.

5. Purissima

This fancy tulip is single-petaled, pure white with a bright yellow center. It looks delicate, but it holds up well to stormy weather. It is an early variety, blooming in April and lasting nearly a month. This tulip is 14-16 inches tall and looks breathtaking when naturalized in large quantities.

6. Showwinner

Tulipa ‘Showwinner’ has won several awards for its unique blooms. They are bright red on the outside, but as the flower opens, the deep golden inner petals are revealed. The thick pointy foliage is low-growing and remains tidy after the flowers bloom. It grows only 8-10 inches tall and makes a wonderful naturalizing bulb.

7. Toronto

Bright orange-red Toronto Tulips with fully open blooms

Bright orange-red Toronto Tulips with fully open blooms.

©Andrianova Tanya/Shutterstock.com

Each Tulipa ‘Toronto’ bulb produces a whole bouquet of 3-5 blooms! The petals are pointy and orange-red. The base of each flower is bronze-gold. They are 12 inches tall and flower in mid-spring. It is a reliable tulip that blooms for many years, often spreading over a large area.

Do Tulips Have Pollen?

Yes, tulips have anthers (the part that produces pollen) that stand up straight. They are covered in pollen of varying colors, depending on the variety of tulips. Some tulips have purple pollen, some black, and some yellow. There are lots of colors! As you can imagine, all of this colorful pollen is like a candy store for bees. They are the main pollinators of tulips. Another great advantage to growing tulips is that you can become a bee conservationist.

Do Tulips Reproduce?

Yes! You can expect up to five new tulip bulbs to grow out of the main ‘mother’ bulb. The roots of the main bulb feed the offsets until it becomes large enough to grow its own roots. It usually takes around three years for a bulblet to become a fully flowering tulip.

It is wise to dig up your tulips every three to five years or so and separate them. They are very easy to pull apart – kind of like pulling apart garlic cloves. Then you can replant the baby tulip bulbs in a new location. While you have them dug up, replace any old or mush bulbs with new stock and add a few handfuls of fertilizer to the hole before replacing the soil.

Which North Dakota Animals Eat Tulips

North Dakota has quite a few creatures that find tulips delicious. Deer, moose, and elk find the leaves and buds tasty. They have a maddening habit of eating the bud right before it is about to flower. If you are lucky enough to have bears visiting your yard, they will pull up tulips with their paws and devour the entire plant, bulb and all.

Rabbits of all types love tulip foliage and will munch it right down to the soil level. Voles, chipmunks, prairie dogs, gophers, and squirrels will all dig up the bulbs when they are hungry in the winter. Mice and rats are known for storing large numbers of tulip bulbs in their dens.

Moles don’t eat tulips, but they will dig them up and disturb them as they are cruising through the soil.

Tulip Protection

Red and yellow Darwin hybrid tulips

Red and yellow Darwin hybrid tulips.

©Printemps PhotoArt/Shutterstock.com

Clever gardeners have devised all kinds of ways to keep their precious plants safe from wildlife. From motion-activated sprinklers to underground wire cages, there are many tricks to be tried. The best method is to plant tulips where the animals cannot physically reach them. A screened-in porch, fenced back yard, or raised garden bed are good options. Depending on the quantity of wildlife visiting your area, you may consider daffodils, as they are poisonous to all the before-mentioned critters, so they have learned to avoid them.

A Very Bad Winter

To ensure your tulips make it through an extra cold North Dakota winter, mulching can be helpful. When temperatures drop, pile leaves over your tulip garden for extra warmth and insulation. You can also use cardboard or other material to cover them if you expect particularly cold weather. Be sure that your tulips have at least an inch of mulch surrounding them to protect them from frost damage. Add more during frigid months if needed for extra protection against extreme temperatures. With extra effort and care, your tulips will be ready for spring!

Summary of 7 Tulips to Grow in North Dakota

NameColorHeight
Couleur CardinalRed with a purple blush14 inches
Don QuichotteMagenta with a purple sheen18-20 inches
Orange EmperorOrange with a hint of yellow at the base18-20 inches
ParadeRed20-22 inches
PurissimaWhite with a yellow center14-16 inches
ShowwinnerRed outside, golden inside8-10 inches
TorontoOrangish Red12 inches

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The photo featured at the top of this post is © MBL1/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Heather Hall is a writer at A-Z Animals, where her primary focus is on plants and animals. Heather has been writing and editing since 2012 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, Heather enjoys hiking, gardening, and trail running through the mountains with her dogs.

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