Tulip 'Couleur Cardinal'

* * * * * Based on 7 reviews
Sophisticated and supremely elegant red-crimson petals with a plum-like, silvery sheen. Tulip 'Couleur Cardinal' is invaluable for being early and excellent in pots More
15 bulbs 261101-15 £8.50

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30 bulbs 261101-30 £15.50

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Sophisticated and supremely elegant red-crimson petals with a plum-like, silvery sheen. This was one of Vita Sackville-West's favourite tulips and there are still lots at Sissinghurst.

I am a big fan of the Single Early group of tulips. They have neat, yet robust flowers with delicate feathering on the outside and a silvery tinge to their leaves and I love the fact they are early.

This can be gift wrapped in our exclusive hessian sack, with ribbon and a Sarah Raven gift card. You will be able to add this to your basket once you begin the checkout process. To add a gift message to your order, simply fill out the details at the delivery stage of the checkout.

Please note: only items which are showing ‘in stock’ can be gift wrapped.

Genus Tulipa
Group/Species Single Early

Single flowered cultivars, these have cup-shaped flowers approx 7.5cm wide and are some of the earliest to flower. Click here for more information about tulip groups.
Variety Couleur Cardinal
Type Hardy Perennial Bulb
Border Position Front, Middle
Bulb Size 11/12

For more info on bulb sizes, click here.
Soil Type Acid, Alkaline, Chalky, Clay, Fertile, Heavy Clay, Neutral, Sandy
Scent Unscented
Site Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture Well-drained
Height 35cm (14in)
Spacing Plant pointy end up 10-15cm (4-6in) deep, 8cm (3in) apart. Layer bulbs to a depth of 25-30cm (10-12in) if room is tight. Remember to add plenty of grit if your soil is heavy. For containers, space bulbs 1-2cm (½-1in) apart if planting in a single layer, give them more room, 2-3cm (1-1½in) if planting in a bulb lasagne.
Sowing, Seeds, Planting Plant outdoors October - December.
Care Tips Don't plant tulip bulbs until the cold weather has set in – this helps wipe out viral and fungal diseases. Leave the browning foliage on your tulips until every leaf has died right down – this allows the bulb to store more food and increases the chances of good flowering the following year.
Flowering April
Vase Life Tulips make supreme cut flowers. Strip the bottom leaves, tie the stems in paper to hold the stems ram-rod straight and leave to drink for at least 3 hours – or overnight. This helps keep the stems straight, but tulips do continue to grow after picking so curves may appear.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sow Under Cover/Plant Indoors
  • Direct Sow/Plant Outdoors
  • Flowers/Harvest
Advice & Videos
Gardening at home with Sarah | May Tulips

Sarah shares her favourite tulips for companion planting, growing in shade and pots.

Gardening at home with Sarah | The best tulips at Perch Hill

In our latest video, Sarah shares her favourite tulips for picking, pots, borders and grass.

Gardening at home with Sarah | Tulips at Perch Hill

Watch as Sarah discusses her favourite varieties currently growing in the gardens at Perch Hill.

Protecting tulips from pests

Protect your tulips this spring from their main pests. This short guide shows you how to avoid tulip fire and squirrels.

Sarah's favourite tulip groups

Sarah talks about her favourite types of tulip groups.

Planting numbers for bulbs in borders

A handy guide for how many alliums, narcissi, tulips, snowdrops and other bulbs to plant in your plot.

How to plant and grow tulips

Find out the best way to plant your tulip bulbs for a great display next spring.

How to plant tulips using a traditional bulb planter

On a particularly blustery autumn day in October, Sarah shows you how to plant tulips with a bulb planter.

How to grow tulips in container pots

Sarah shows you a few different ideas and techniques for planting tulips in container pots, for beautiful spring displays in your garden.

Understanding the 15 different tulip groups

The full list of the different tulip groups, with a little specification, as well as an example. We hope from this you can learn a bit more to help...

A guide through the tulip trial beds at Perch Hill

Sarah guides you through the new tulip varieties she is trialling from her most recent trip to the Netherlands (Hortus Bulborum, Keukenhof). She...

Sarah's blog: The Tulip Garden

We had our first light frost this morning, which has made me start thinking about planting tulips...

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Delivery

Bulb Delivery - When in stock, please allow 3-4 working days for despatch.

Click here to find out more information about our delivery rates and times.

Tulip 'Couleur Cardinal' reviews

* * * * * Average based on 7 reviews

* * * * *

Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Wendy

* * - - -

Reviewed 24th July 2019 by Hello Ann

The first four that flowered were pure white and not Cardinal.

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Reviewed 17th July 2019 by Hello Wendy

Lovely large bulbs producing strong flowers. I generally purchase bulbs from my local garden centre at a lower price point, but having tried these I can certainly see that it's worth spending a little extra.

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Reviewed 13th July 2019 by Hello Janice

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Reviewed 26th June 2019 by Sharon

A lovely display this Spring

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Reviewed 26th June 2019 by Phyllis

The plants arrived on time, they were strong & healthy. When I had a problem many weeks later with one variety & inquired what the problem was, they replied very quickly & repaid me for them. I am so pleased & greatly admire the Sarah Raven Co. & would recommend them to anyone.

Deep deep red

* * * * *

Reviewed 23rd September 2017 by J Orchard

This is a gorgeous tulip - so glad to see it is available again. Such a deep rich red, and it seems darker red inside. It is still coming back in pots - third year in a row now.

Read more reviews