Tulips · the flowers that keep growing
Tulips are one of the few flowers that keep growing after they are cut. They can stretch an inch or more in the vase, bend and turn toward the light, and open wide in a warm room. That movement is part of their charm.
Because they keep moving, a tulip arrangement looks a little different every day. A few simple habits keep them graceful instead of floppy.
Cool water, a tall vase, and a turn every day
Use cool water and a vase that supports at least half the stem. Tulips like it cold, and a tall vase keeps the heavy heads from flopping over the edge.
Turn the vase a little every day. Tulips bend toward the brightest light, and turning them keeps the stems straighter.
When your flowers arrive
- Fill a clean, tall vase with cool water and flower food.
- Cut about half an inch off each stem, straight or at a slight angle.
- Remove any leaves that would sit in the water.
- If the stems are curving, wrap the bunch snugly in paper and stand it in cool water for an hour or two. They will straighten.
- Unwrap and arrange them in the vase.
Where to put them
Cool and evenly lit keeps tulips tidy. Warm and one-sided light makes them stretch and lean.
- A cool room with even light, away from a single bright window, keeps them more upright.
- Keep them away from heat vents, sunny sills and ripening fruit.
- A warm room opens the blooms wide and shortens their life. Move them somewhere cooler at night.
- Turn the vase a quarter turn each day.
Everyday care
Tulips
Tulipa
- Vase life
- About five to seven days.
- Water
- Keep it cool and topped up. Tulips drink a lot on the first day. Change it every two days.
- Stems
- Re-cut a little every two or three days. They will keep growing either way.
- Flower food
- Use the packet if one came with them.
- Temperature
- Cool. Warmth makes them open fast and droop.
- Watch for
- Heads bending to one side. That is them reaching for the light, not dying.
Tulips, especially the bulbs, can cause drooling, vomiting and an upset stomach in cats and dogs. Keep the vase out of reach. If any part is eaten, call your veterinarian.
Mixing tulips with other flowers
Don’t add fresh-cut daffodils straight into a vase of tulips. Freshly cut daffodils release a sap that shortens the life of tulips and other flowers. If you want them together, stand the daffodils in their own water for several hours first, then add them without re-cutting.
Old tricks that don’t help
A penny in the vase or a pinprick under the bloom won’t stop tulips from growing or bending. Cool water, a supportive vase and a daily turn work far better.
Quick fixes
Stems bending over the edge
They are growing and reaching for light. Re-cut, use a taller vase and turn it daily. Wrap them in paper in cool water to straighten.
Petals opening wide and flat
The room is warm. Move them somewhere cooler.
Whole bunch drooping on day one
They are thirsty. Re-cut and fill the vase with cool water. They usually stand back up within hours.
Leaves going yellow and soft
They are sitting in water. Remove any leaves below the water line.
Petals dropping
The end of their life. A cooler room gives you a day or two more next time.
Cloudy water
Change it, wash the vase and re-cut the stems.
Common questions
Why do my tulips droop?
Tulips keep growing and turn toward light after they are cut. They also droop when they are thirsty. Re-cut the stems, use cool water and a tall vase, and turn the vase daily.
How long do cut tulips last?
About five to seven days in a cool room.
Can you put tulips and daffodils in the same vase?
Not straight away. Freshly cut daffodils release a sap that harms tulips. Let the daffodils sit in their own water for several hours first.
Does a penny in the water help tulips?
No. Cool water, a fresh cut and a supportive vase do far more.
More flower care guides
Peonies
Paeonia
Tight buds open into huge blooms. Warm water to open them, a cool room to slow them down.
Read the guide →Vase Arrangements
Fresh flowers in water
Fresh water every other day, a fresh cut on the stems, and a cool spot out of the sun.
Read the guide →Wrapped & Hand-Tied Bouquets
Fresh flowers to put in your own vase
Get it into water within the hour: trim the stems, pick a clean vase, keep it cool.
Read the guide →About pets and plants: The pet notes in this guide are general plant knowledge from our florists, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet chews or swallows any part of a plant, contact a licensed veterinarian right away, or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a person swallows any part of a plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”1 Corinthians 3:7
Questions about your plant?
Call or text us. We are always glad to help, whether you bought it from us or not.
Call or text (984) 250-7771 Clayton Florist · 11440 Clayton Blvd, Clayton, NC 27520claytonncflorist.com