Tulips can be frustrating. Many of them aren’t particularly long-lived and the bulbs and flowers are tempting to squirrels, chipmunks and other hungry rodents. It took a long time for me to give up on the large garden tulips—oh how I love their bold, bright colors—but now I mostly grow spring bulbs that the rodents aren’t interested in like daffodils, chionodoxa, snowdrops and grape hyacinth.
I do make one tulip exception. While they aren’t as tall, showy or colorful as regular garden tulips, most species tulips return year after year and the flowers and bulbs are not as attractive to rodents. There are many different kinds of species tulips but most of them are small and grow anywhere from 4 to 16 inches tall.
This is ‘Lilac Wonder’:
This pretty species tulip grows 4-7 inches tall with lilac-pink flowers that sport a bright-yellow base and anthers. While many of the species tulips are Hardy to Zone 3, this one is a bit more cold-sensitive (to Zone 5) and prefers a sunny spot in the garden.
I planted my bulbs next to the house on the south side where I knew they’d get they warmth they desire.
‘Lilac Wonder’ is a perfect front-of-the-border plant. The flowers appear in mid-spring and look particularly fetching with grape hyacinth or purple or lilac windflowers.