Little Beauty Wildflower Tulip (Tulipa humilis)Little Beauty Wildflower Tulip (Tulipa humilis)

The Wonderful Wildflower Tulips

by David Salman

The fall-planted, spring-blooming flower bulb planting season is just around the corner. I always order my bulbs in August or September and wait to plant until the first couple of frosts in the fall. In USDA Zone 6 Santa Fe, this usually in late October. I always remind folks that when you see the bulbs blooming in spring, it’s too late to get them planted. You have to plant in the fall to get color in the spring.

What I like best about spring-blooming bulbs is the ease of their care. Few other groups of plants provide so much with so little effort. I always say I’m planting myself a “spring surprise.” Invariably, you forget what and where you planted your bulbs, so all through the spring, it‘s a continuous source of pleasure and delight to see all the bright colors and cheery combinations you’ve created.

Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder'
'Lilac Wonder' Wildflower Tulip (Tulipa bakeri)

High Country Gardens specializes in perennial Fall-Planted, Spring-Blooming Flower Bulbs. It seems we all are more time-constrained than ever, so it makes sense to plant bulbs that come back year after year, more numerous and beautiful.

For this reason, one of my favorite spring bulb groups would be the Wildflower Tulips. These smaller growers will amaze you with their huge flowers in many extravagant colors. They are strong naturalizers (meaning they increase in numbers during each growing season by propagating more bulbs) and are an essential source of early-season nectar and pollen for hungry honey and native bees.

My favorite Wildflower Tulip varieties that we currently offer include ‘Lilac Wonder’‘Little Princess’ and ‘Little Beauty’.

For more information about choosing and planting Tulips, learn more in our guide: How To Choose & Plant Tulips

Shop Tulip Bulbs

  1. Pink and Blue Tulip Bulbs, Tulipa, Wildflower Tulip Bulbs Little Beauty

    Tulipa humilis ‚Little Beauty‚ (Wildflower Tulip) has rich, reddish-pink petals and a bright blue-eyed center. A wonderful hybrid companion to ‚Little Princess&sbqu...

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    Little Beauty Wildflower Tulip Little Beauty Wildflower Tulip Tulipa humilis Little Beauty
    Sale Price I Save 25%
    $9.99 Sale $7.49
    Per Bag of 15

    Tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty' (Wildflower Tulip) has rich, reddish-pink petals and a bright blue-eyed center. A wonderful hybrid companion to 'Little Princess', this vigorous variety is a delight in the garden. Fragrant. Looks wonderful planted in large groups.

  2. Pink and Yellow Tulip bakeri Bulbs Lilac Wonder, Tulipa bakeri, Wildflower Tulip Bulbs Lilac Wonder

    Tulipa bakeri ‚Lilac Wonder‚ (Botanical Tulip) is an unusual and distinctive wildflower tulip with gorgeous mauve-pink petals surrounding a soft yellow center. A long liv...

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    Lilac Wonder Wildflower Tulip Lilac Wonder Wildflower Tulip Tulipa bakeri Lilac Wonder
    Sale Price I Save 25%
    $11.99 Sale $8.99
    Per Bag of 15
    Tulipa bakeri 'Lilac Wonder' (Botanical Tulip) is an unusual and distinctive wildflower tulip with gorgeous mauve-pink petals surrounding a soft yellow center. A long lived, vigorous grower.
  3. Magenta  and Yellow pulchella Bulbs Persian Pearl, Tulipa praestans, Tulip pulchella Bulbs Persian Pearl

    Persian Pearl Wildflower Tulip has showy purple-red petals and a bright yellow center. Like most of the wildflower tulips, Tulipa humilis Persian Pearl multiplies itself readily....

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    Persian Pearl Wildflower Tulip Persian Pearl Wildflower Tulip Tulipa humilis Persian Pearl
    Sale Price I Save 25%
    $11.99 Sale $8.99
    Per Bag of 15
    Persian Pearl Wildflower Tulip has showy purple-red petals and a bright yellow center. Like most of the wildflower tulips, Tulipa humilis Persian Pearl multiplies itself readily.
  4. Red and Orange Tulip Bulbs, Little Princess Tulipa In Container Pot, Wildflower Tulips, Specie Tulips

    Little Princess Wildflower Tulip is multi-colored a multi-colored beauty of reddish orange, primrose yellow, burnt orange and gold. A striking hybrid has excellent vigor and blooms h...

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    Little Princess Wildflower Tulip Little Princess Wildflower Tulip Tulipa Little Princess
    Sale Price I Save 25%
    $11.99 Sale $8.99
    Per Bag of 15
    Little Princess Wildflower Tulip is multi-colored a multi-colored beauty of reddish orange, primrose yellow, burnt orange and gold. A striking hybrid has excellent vigor and blooms heavily.

Companion Plants For Wildflower Tulips

Spring flowering bulbs are outstanding companion plants to mix into your perennial flower beds. The bulbs provide the early season color, as well as nectar for pollinators, and go dormant as the perennials are growing upwards and coming into bloom.

Plant wildflower tulips into spring-blooming groundcovers like Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Speedwell) and Veronica pectinata (Wooly Speedwell) to create a blooming carpet decorated with the tulips that push up through them in spring. Easy and colorful!

Shop Groundcovers

  1. Blue Veronica liwanensis, Veronica liwanensis, Turkish Speedwell, Photo Courtesy of Plant Select

    Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Speedwell) is one of our showiest blue flowered groundcovers native to the mountains of Turkey. Spreading stems of evergreen foliage root as they spread ...

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    Turkish Veronica Turkish Speedwell Veronica liwanensis
    As low as $9.99 Sale $8.49
    Per Plant - 2.5" Pot
    Veronica liwanensis (Turkish Speedwell) is one of our showiest blue flowered groundcovers native to the mountains of Turkey. Spreading stems of evergreen foliage root as they spread across the soil and cover themselves with bright blue flowers in late spring.
  2. Blue Woolly Speedwell, Veronica pectinata

    Veronica pectinata (Woolly Speedwell) is one of our finest groundcovers. Growing with long stems of wooly evergreen foliage, the plants cover themselves with blue blooms, aging to la...

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    Blue Woolly Veronica Blue Woolly Speedwell Veronica pectinata
    As low as $8.99 Sale $7.64
    Per Plant - 2.5" Pot
    Veronica pectinata (Woolly Speedwell) is one of our finest groundcovers. Growing with long stems of wooly evergreen foliage, the plants cover themselves with blue blooms, aging to lavender-blue flowers in early to mid-spring. 2" tall x 18" wide.
  3. Thymus Pink Chintz, Pink Chintz Creeping Thyme

    Thymus serpyllum ‚Pink Chintz‚ (Creeping Thyme) is a tight, low growing creeping thyme with thick stems of woolly green foliage that blooms in mid-spring with a profusion...

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    Pink Chintz Creeping Thyme Pink Chintz Creeping Thyme Thymus serpyllum Pink Chintz
    As low as $9.99 Sale $8.49
    Per Plant - 2.5" Pot
    Thymus serpyllum 'Pink Chintz' (Creeping Thyme) is a tight, low growing creeping thyme with thick stems of woolly green foliage that blooms in mid-spring with a profusion of salmon-pink flowers.
  4. Pink Creeping Thyme, Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus Coccineus

    Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus ‚Coccineus‚ (Pink Creeping Thyme) is an outstanding selection with glossy, dark green leaves covered with light pink flowers pushing form ro...

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    Pink Creeping Thyme Pink Creeping Thyme Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus Coccineus
    As low as $9.99 Sale $8.49
    Per Plant - 2.5" Pot
    Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus 'Coccineus' (Pink Creeping Thyme) is an outstanding selection with glossy, dark green leaves covered with light pink flowers pushing form rose-pink buds in early summer. This variety is impressively xeric, with tough woody stems. Drought resistant/drought tolerant plant (xeric).
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