How to Grow Peony Tulips

Also called double late tulips or double hybrids, peony tulips (Tulipa x hybrida) are round and layered with scores of ruffled petals, which makes them resemble a real peony (Paeonia lactiflora).

But the two are entirely different flowers.

Peonies are usually herbaceous perennials or woody shrubs that grow from thick tubers – which I have recently seen unearthed in my front flower bed because my dog has inexplicably been digging up one of my peonies over and over again…

Peony tulips, on the other hand, are grown from bulbs.

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Like other tulips, they’re members of the Lily family, Liliaceae. Originally from Turkey and the Middle East, they’re now grown around the world.

Read more about tulips in our growing guide.

True to their other name – double late tulips – these bloom later in the spring than other members of the Tulipa genus, usually around May or June.

The blooms last for around two weeks, giving you a beautiful span of time to enjoy their peony-like loveliness. The blooms are four inches wide, making them one of the largest, most stunning Tulipa varieties around.

Best of all, double late tulips smell delightful. And since these flowers thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8, I’m planting a set of bulbs in my Alaskan flower bed this fall for a late spring show of double-petaled color.

So, if you like tulips but want to grow a variety that’s bigger and more elegantly showy, this guide will tell you everything you need to know.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

Before you begin planting, there are a few things to keep in mind so you