Founding florist
Tulipanna
Bondi NSW · est. 1992
A Bondi Road florist since 1992, with seasonal bouquets, arrangements, roses and potted orchids, and a weekly note on what's at market.
Seasonal cut flowerTulipa gesneriana
Tulips: when they're in season in Australia
Tulips are in season in Australia from June to October. In Tasmania the season runs September to October. Outside those months you'll mostly find imported stems.Being confirmed
- Right now
- In season in September
- Season
- June to October
- Vase life
- 3 to 8 days
Season by state
Tulips are a cool-season flower in Australia, at market from about June through to October. Winter stems are mostly glasshouse-grown from chilled bulbs, while field-grown tulips flower in late winter and spring, peaking in September and October in Victoria and Tasmania. Table Cape in north-west Tasmania is the country's biggest tulip farm, and spring tulip festivals run in Canberra, Bowral, the Dandenong Ranges, Toowoomba and Wynyard. They keep growing in the vase, so trim and top up often.
Where to buy tulips
Sold by the bunch of ten. Cheapest and most plentiful in late winter and spring, dearer in autumn. Being confirmed
How to choose good tulips
Pick bunches where the buds are still closed and feel firm when you press them lightly. The leaves should be crisp and bright green, not limp, yellow or bruised, and the stems should spring back rather than flop. Tulips with wide-open heads look lovely in the shop but may only give you a couple of days. In damp weather, check for grey mould at the base of the petals. One bunch of ten fills a medium vase, and two make it look generous. Field-grown tulips in September and October are the cheapest and freshest, while the glasshouse stems of early winter cost more.
Grown here or imported?
Tulips are not native to Australia, but they're grown here commercially.
Where they're grown
Tulips need a long cold spell before they will flower, and that shapes how they are grown here. Field tulips do best where winters are properly cold, such as Tasmania's north-west coast, the Dandenong Ranges and parts of the Victorian and NSW highlands. Growers plant bulbs in autumn and pick in spring. Winter stems come from glasshouses, where growers take bulbs that have been chilled in cool rooms and force them in trays, cutting a few weeks after planting. Many bulbs for forcing are imported from the Netherlands, while Tasmania also grows bulbs for local gardeners and growers. Being confirmed
Out of season, florists bring in imported stems. Ask your florist which you're buying: local stems are usually fresher and have travelled less.Being confirmed
Colours, varieties and care
Colours
- red
- pink
- white
- yellow
- orange
- purple
- bi-colour
Varieties to ask for
- Single
- Double
- Parrot
- Fringed
- French long-stemmed
Vase life
3 to 8 days Being confirmed
Making them last
- Choose bunches with colour on the top half of the bud and green below
- Recut stems straight across and remove any leaves that sit in the water
- Use cold water and only a few centimetres of it
- Keep them somewhere cool, as warmth makes them open and stretch fast
- Expect stems to grow and bend towards light, so turn the vase daily
- Top up water daily, as tulips drink a lot
Using them at home
Tulips arrive with anemones, ranunculus, daffodils and freesias, and in late winter, branches of magnolia or cherry blossom make a tall backdrop. Stand daffodils in their own water for a day first, as their sap shortens the life of other flowers. Tulips keep growing in the vase and bend towards light, so work with it. A wide, low bowl lets them curve and spill over the rim, a look many florists like. For straighter stems, use a tall, narrow vase that supports them almost to the head. Over the week the petals open wide, sometimes flat, before they drop cleanly.
Meaning
Traditionally a declaration of love, especially red tulips.
Where to see them growing
Table Cape Tulip Farm
Wynyard
Open: February to April and September to OctoberBeing confirmed
Tesselaar Tulip Farm
Silvan
Open: September to OctoberBeing confirmed
Corbett Gardens
Bowral
Best: September to OctoberBeing confirmed
Commonwealth Park
Canberra
Best: September to OctoberBeing confirmed
Queens Park and Toowoomba Botanic Gardens
Toowoomba
Best: September to OctoberBeing confirmed
Sydney Flower Market
Flemington
Best: all yearBeing confirmed
Melbourne Market flower market (National Flower Centre)
Epping
Best: all yearBeing confirmed
Questions people ask
When are tulips in season in Australia?
Tulips are at Australian markets from roughly June to October. Winter stems are mostly glasshouse-grown, and field tulips flower in late winter and spring, peaking in September and October in Victoria and Tasmania, when the big tulip festivals and farm open days run.
Where can I see tulip fields in Australia?
Table Cape Tulip Farm near Wynyard in Tasmania and Tesselaar in Silvan, Victoria are the best-known farms. Floriade in Canberra, Tulip Time in Bowral and the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers plant tulips in public gardens each spring.
Why do my tulips droop and bend?
Tulips keep growing after they are cut and bend towards light. Warm rooms speed this up. Use a small amount of cold water, keep the vase somewhere cool, trim the stems each day or two and turn the vase to keep them straighter.
How long do tulips last?
Usually three to eight days, depending on the time of year, how tightly they were picked and the variety. Buying them in bud and keeping them cool gets you to the longer end.
Are tulips poisonous to cats and dogs?
Yes. The ASPCA lists tulips as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The toxins are found through the whole plant but are most concentrated in the bulb. Chewing leaves or petals can cause vomiting, drooling or diarrhoea. Keep cut tulips out of reach, store bulbs securely, and call your vet if a pet eats any part of one.
Related flowers
All flowers
Where this season information comes from
- koch.com.au/blog/the-essential-guide-to-the-tulip
- figandbloom.com/blogs/journal/australian-flower-calendar
- livingflowersmelbourne.com.au/blogs/news/seasonal-flowers-by-month-in-australia
- katehillflowers.com.au/blogs/bloom-journal/flowers-in-season-melbourne
- abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/my-garden-path-tulip-farmers/11464828