Lady Tulip (Tulipa clusiana)

common name: 
Lady tulip
 | 
scientific name: 
Tulipa
 
clusiana
Pale yellow tulips with dew drops against green foliage.

Lady tulip (Tulipa clusiana) in bloom, featuring soft yellow flowers with contrasting centers in the Backyard Farmer Garden, April 2026. 

Image Creadit: 
Trey Lamkins, Graduate Research Assistant

Lady tulip (Tulipa clusiana) is a species tulip valued for its elegant, star-shaped flowers and ability to naturalize in well-drained soils. Blooming in early to mid-spring, it produces slender, pointed petals that open wide in sunlight, often revealing soft yellow interiors with contrasting tones on the outer petals. This species thrives in full sun and prefers well-drained soils, making it especially well-suited for rock gardens, borders, and naturalized plantings.

Charecteristics
Plant type: 
Bulb
Hardiness Zones: 
3, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7, 8
Light Needs: 
Full Sun
Water Needs: 
Dry
Space Requirements: 
Less than 12 inches
Height Requirements: 
Less than 2 feet
Spread Requirements: 
1–2 feet
Bloom Color: 
Yellow
Bloom Time: 
Spring
Leaf Color: 
Green
Companion Plant Tolerance: 
Drought
Uses: 
Ground Cover
Varieties