Tulips are considered to be perennial bulbs. However, they require a distinct cold period of at least 6 weeks during their hibernation. In areas that lack this cold, tulips are often refrigerated and potted after the dormant period, then they sprout and eventually bloom. While botanically incorrect, a seller in Florida [or southern Texas] who labels the pots of tulips as "annual" is doing the purchaser a favor -- don't expect those bulbs to bloom next year without extra-special treatment. You've just bumped into one of the differences between Texas and Wisconsin :)

With a few exceptions (some species tulips and the Darwin hybrids), most modern tulips do not perennialize well. Even in areas with ideal climates for them (and here in the PNW we have the largest commercial bulb growing fields outside of the Netherlands), subsequent years produce mostly foliar growth and almost no flowers. And eventually they disappear entirely, unlike narcissus, which will multiply and naturalize easily. Much of it has to do with hybridization (the naturalizing or perennial gene has been mostly bred out) but it is just as much a factor of care after bloom - tulips orginated in an area that has very dry and hot summers and lean, sandy soils and the enriched soils and normal irrigation of our gardens are just not the conditions that encourage their consistent return.

So while they are considered a perennial bulb, they behave very much like annuals pretty much everywhere and are typically replanted fresh each season.

Climate & soil varies tremendously in Texas, so what works for me in the DFW area (alkaline clay) wouldn't necessarily work for someone in, say, East Texas (sandy acidic soil) or West Texas (sandy soil &, uh, I don't know what else except heat & sun).

You might check the Texas forum for more detailed assistance;
there're a lot of knowledgeable & helpful people over there, & there's bound to be someone in your area.

Best luck, & enjoy your new garden!

Yes, I agree with Sylvia about checking out the Texas Gardening Forum for more information.

Also a great website to check for Texas gardening is TAMU.

DUTCH TULIPS

What a shame tulip bulbs are good for only one season in our planting zone. They are beautiful that first year, but our mild winters do not provide the cold temperatures necessary for healthy blooms the following year. However, many East Texas gardeners believe that the one year of bloom is worth the cost and effort.

The tulip has a history unrivaled by any other plant. Most people associate the tulip with Holland and assume that is where the plant originated. History tells us that tulips were cultivated by the Turks as early as AD 1000. It was so prized that there were laws prohibiting its export outside of Turkey. It is said that the name "tulip" came from the Turkish word for "turban."

The tulip reached Holland in 1593 and, because of its scarcity, became the symbol of wealth and status. It gained such popularity that in the 1630s there was a tulip mania, so to speak. The bulbs became a trading product with one bulb being worth the price of a house. Traders in bulbs were making fortunes, and a futures market developed on bulbs still in the ground. The frenzy became so great that when new hybrids came onto the market and the supply increased, the market crashed, bankrupting many dealers and investors. The financial impact was devastating across Holland. The government was forced to enact legislation establishing trading restrictions on the bulbs.

Give tulips about 60days of chilling in the refrigerator (not freezer) before planting. To those who do plant the bulb, treat it tenderly because you are holding in your hand the bulb that was once revered by sultans, emperors, kings, and princes.

George Weisser, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas Cooperative Extension