Tulip 'Fusilier'

Questions about tulip 'Fusilier'

Does tulip 'Fusilier' need sun or shade?

Tulip 'Fusilier' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does tulip 'Fusilier' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does tulip 'Fusilier' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid April to early May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should tulip 'Fusilier' be planted?

4 in (10 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 in (12 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many tulip 'Fusilier' plants do I need?

At 4 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 107 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 31 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 343 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.

In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.

Is tulip 'Fusilier' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: moderate toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. The bulbs are the most poisonous part and cause vomiting, drooling and diarrhoea in pets. Handling the bulbs can irritate skin.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like tulip 'Fusilier'?

These come closest to doing what tulip 'Fusilier' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Grape hyacinth: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 6 in shorter, blue, not red.
• Checkered lily: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; purple or white, not red, fine leaves, not medium.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What can I plant to hide tulip 'Fusilier''s leaves after it flowers?

A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:

• Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.
• Garden chrysanthemum: 24 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower mid September to late October.

What does tulip 'Fusilier' look like in winter?

Tulip 'Fusilier' is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.