How to Identify and Care for an Absolon Tulip

The Absolon Tulip loves dry summers and cold winters. It is best to plant this tulip in a large drift. It can be used in rock gardens, as overplantings above perennials, it can be forced indoors or container grown. It thrives in zones 4 through 6, but with additional care, can be grown in zones 7 through 10. The AHS Heat Zone has not been defined for this plant. The cultivar is Absolon and it is from the Liliaceae family. It grows from a bulb, and is used for landscaping.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Identify the Absolon Tulip by its deep yellow and mahogany feather blooms. The plant itself is vase-shaped and is deciduous. The flowers are flashy and make single blooms. The colors can be red or yellow, or a combination of both.
2. Plant the bulb in a hole that is 3 times its height and at least 1 ½ times its width. Add some bone meal fertilizer to the bottom of the hole, then put the bulb upright in the hole (the pointed end is the upright end). If you cannot tell which way is up, plant the bulb sideways. Fill the hole with soil. Do not pack the soil too firm. If you are in zones 9 through 10, you must pre-cool the bulbs at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 to 10 weeks prior to planting.
3. Plant the bulbs in early fall if you are in zones 4 through 8 and in late winter if you are in zones 9 through 10. Plant in a sandy loam to loam mixture of soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Fertilize them with a liquid fertilizer every four weeks. Water periodically, keeping the soil somewhat moist. Once flowering is finished, cut the spent flowers, then let the foliage turn yellow and wither for about six weeks, then cut back the foliage.
4. Keep this plant in a dappled light, unless your summers are long and hot. Then plant it in partial shade. If you have short summers, plant it in part sun (filtered light, with the most sun during the afternoon hours).
5. Create drains if the area you choose to plant tends to become waterlogged. If the problem is only on the surface, make a small trench to divert the water away from the plant. If the water problem lies below the surface, make a French drain. This is a ditch that has been filled with gravel and has sod on top of it.

Tips & Warnings

• The Absolon Tulip is slope tolerant, and if planted on a slope, helps soil erosion.

• The Absolon Tulip is prone to Rhizactonia Root, Stem Rot and Bulb Rot. To help prevent these diseases, do not over water the plants. If you suspect Rhizactonia, decrease watering. You may be able to save the plants with fungicide.