Tulips transform a standard spring garden into something extraordinary. Whether you want saturated colour, multi-petalled texture, or reliable cut flowers for indoor vases, the right variety makes all the difference. Here are some of the best new tulips for 2027, as recommended by our horticultural experts…
Browse our full range of tulip bulbs for even more inspiration.
At a glance: best new tulip bulbs
- Tulip ‘Dreamer’
- Tulip ‘Miss Elegance’
- Tulip ‘Giant Phoenix Mix’
- Tulip ‘In My Heart’
- Tulip ‘El Cid Dubbel’
- Tulip ‘Ile d’Amour’
- Tulip ‘Taiwan’
- Tulip ‘Strawberry Frost’
- Tulip ‘Foxtrot Collection’
- Tulip ‘Giant Collection’
- Tulip ‘Strawberries and Cream’
- Tulip ‘Cutting Mix’
1. Tulip ‘Dreamer’
Image: Tulip ‘Dreamer’ from T&M
Tulip ‘Dreamer’ has sumptuous soft blush pink double blooms that resemble peonies as the flowers fully open. It adds texture, depth and elegance to your borders, containers and cut flower arrangements, with at least two large, multi-petalled blooms on each strong compact stem.
“I distinctly remember Tulip ‘Dreamer’ from the trials due to the carpet of colour it produced. We see so many different varieties each year, but it’s rare to see multiple stems from a single bulb. What great value!” – Gavin Shaw, lead buyer at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 45cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Full, peony-like blooms
2. Tulip ‘Miss Elegance’
Image: Tulip ‘Miss Elegance’ from T&M
The gently fluted blooms of Tulip ‘Miss Elegance’ open to reveal fabulous flamingo pink petals with delicate pale pink highlights. These graceful flowers rise on short sturdy stems that hold their shape in cut flower arrangements as well as outside. Perfect for cottage gardens and romantic pastel themes.
“With tulips, I usually prefer a simple mass of colour, but Tulip ‘Miss Elegance’ really stands out due to the almost perfect shape of every petal. It’s amazing how each one is so delicately produced, yet they are thicker than usual making it robust enough to stand up to the British weather!” – Gavin Shaw, lead buyer at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 30cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Grace and strength
3. Tulip ‘Giant Phoenix Mix’
Image: Tulip ‘Giant Phoenix Mix’ from T&M
Tulip ‘Giant Phoenix Mix’ pairs ‘Yellow Phoenix Memory’ with bright red ‘Phoenix Memory’ to deliver a show-stopping display of massive, ruffled blooms in rich crimson and vivid gold. Their intensely feathered petals lend huge energy to spring borders, and they look particularly impressive planted en masse.
“If you want to create real impact in your spring garden, ‘Giant Phoenix Mix’ is hard to beat. With giant ruffled blooms that are twice the size of my hand, each flower is full of texture and character making every display feel unique. They’re a brilliant choice for adding a touch of theatre to borders and containers.” – Lance Russell, Brand Sales Lead at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 50cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Enormous flower heads
4. Tulip ‘In My Heart’
Image: Tulip ‘In My Heart’ from T&M
Tulip ‘In My Heart’ has double, crimson blooms packed with tightly layered, crimped petals reminiscent of a rose. Its compact, sturdy habit makes it ideal for containers or the front of a border, and it holds up well to weather. Show it off to best advantage by planting in tight groups. And if you’re after a cut flower, this lavish bloom is an exceptional choice.
“Tulip ‘In My Heart’ is a real showstopper for me, with sumptuous double blooms that look remarkably like roses and bring incredible texture and depth to spring displays. I love planting them in generous groups where their bold colour creates maximum impact, or mixing them with simpler single tulips to highlight their unique form.” – Lance Russell, Brand Sales Lead at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 45cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Luxurious double blooms
5. Tulip ‘El Cid Dubbel’
Image: Tulip ‘El Cid Dubbel’ from T&M
For gardeners seeking a vibrant focal point, Tulip ‘El Cid Dubbel’ delivers opulent late-spring drama. Its dense layers of ruffled petals open to reveal deep crimson flames against a background of rich gold. Ideal for massing near the front to middle of sunny borders or anchoring structured container displays, it pairs exceptionally well with dark, late-flowering Darwin hybrids or fine-textured companion foliage.
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 55cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Dramatic colour
6. Tulip ‘Ile d’Amour’
Image: Tulip ‘Ile d’Amour’ from T&M
A standout choice for adding structural intrigue and luxurious colour to your borders, Tulip ‘Ile d’Amour’ is a refined double. Its rich, cardinal-red blooms feature distinctive green flushes on the outer petals, delivering a striking visual contrast that deepens as the classic cup-shaped flowers mature. With exceptionally tall and rigid stems, these blooms remain upright without staking, even when exposed to spring winds.
“Who would have thought you could improve the traditional red tulip? Well, Ile d’Armour has managed it! The bold green streak on the outside of the petals highlights the beautiful deep red colour even more.” – Gavin Shaw, lead buyer at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 50cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Robust stems and intriguing colour
7. Tulip ‘Taiwan’
Image: Tulip ‘Taiwan’ from T&M
Tulip ‘Taiwan’ has sophisticated salmon-pink petals arranged in a fully double, peony-like form that beautifully catch the light. Thanks to its low-growing structure, ‘Taiwan’ is ideal for the front of borders, underplanting taller Darwin hybrids, or packing tightly into shallow patio containers where heavy spring rainfall won’t compromise its upright stems. For best results, pair with cool whites, rich purples, or deep plum companions.
“I like using Tulip ‘Taiwan’ as a focal point among softer pastel tulips, where its vibrant flowers really stand out and bring energy to the spring display. I recently picked a large bunch of these and they looked spectacular in a vase!” – Lance Russell, Brand Sales Lead at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 35cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Wonderful for containers
8. Tulip ‘Strawberry Frost’
Image: Tulip ‘Strawberry Frost Collection’ from T&M
Bringing together two RHS Award of Garden Merit winners, the Tulip ‘Strawberry Frost Collection’ pairs a crisp, brilliant white with a soft cream-and-pink variety. Both flower at the same time, giving you a balanced, hassle-free display in borders and pots. Their stand-out feature is the finely-fringed edge on every petal, which gives the blooms a distinct frosted texture that holds up brilliantly in both the garden and cut-flower vases.
“Tulip ‘Strawberry Frost’ feels fresh, stylish and effortlessly complements both pastel and bolder planting schemes. The delicate pink tones work beautifully in cottage-style gardens, contemporary borders or containers, and the flowers are equally at home in a vase, making it a great choice for gardeners who enjoy bringing blooms indoors.” – Lance Russell, Brand Sales Lead at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 50cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Textured ruffled petals
9. Tulip ‘Foxtrot Collection’
Image: Tulip ‘Foxtrot’ Collection from T&M
Featuring three lightly scented, peony-style varieties, the Tulip ‘Foxtrot’ Collection brings dense, ruffled blooms to your spring garden. In sunset shades of red, gold, apricot and salmon pink, these compact tulips look best planted en masse in pots, window boxes, or at the front of borders. Their subtle fragrance makes them a great choice for indoor cut arrangements.
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 40cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Lovely fragrance
10. Tulip ‘Giant Collection’
Image: Tulip ‘Giant Collection’ from T&M
This Tulip ‘Giant Collection’ brings together massive, weather-resistant Darwin hybrids that produce some of the largest blooms you can grow – opening up to 15cm wide. Held on tall, surprisingly sturdy stems, these pink, orange, yellow, purple and red varieties look best planted in big drifts in full sun. And if you grow them in well-drained beds, they’ll come back reliably, year after year.
“It’s rare to find a tulip that has massive flowers, looks amazing in a vase, is strong enough to keep its shape in the garden, and copes with the British weather. A real showstopper!” – Gavin Shaw, lead buyer at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 60cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Huge flower heads
11. Tulip ‘Strawberries and Cream’
Image: Tulip ‘Strawberries and Cream Collection’ from T&M
Combining pink, peach, apricot, and cream varieties, the Tulip ‘Strawberries and Cream Collection’ brings a soft, fruity palette of giant Darwin hybrid tulips to your garden. The massive 5-inch blooms sit on long, weather-resistant stems that hold strong through spring winds and heavy rain. Ideal for mass planting in borders or filling large vases, these dependable tulips are naturally long-lasting and will reliably return year after year.
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: 50-60cm
- Ultimate spread: 15cm
- Highlight: Weather resistant perennials
12. Tulip ‘Cutting Mix’
Image: Tulip ‘Cutting Mix’ from T&M
Selected for strong stems and an excellent vase life, Tulip ‘Cutting Mix’ gives you a steady supply of bright, upright blooms all spring. It features a mix of bold colours and different flower shapes, making it easy to harvest fresh arrangements straight from the garden. Whether packed into containers or planted in border rows, these tall varieties hold their structure well outdoors and bring long-lasting colour inside to your vases.
“If you love filling your home with fresh flowers, Tulip ‘Cutting Mix’ is an excellent investment and helps to take the guesswork out of creating your own cut-flower bouquets. Make sure you plant them in generous drifts and you’ll have plenty to cut while still leaving a spectacular display outdoors. These are getting a lot of space in my cut-flower borders!” – Lance Russell, Brand Sales Lead at T&M
- Flowering months: April and May
- Ultimate height: Mixed heights
- Ultimate spread: Mixed spread
- Highlight: Spectacular cut flowers
Read our article on how to grow tulips for tips on where, when and how deeply to plant these show-stopping bulbs. And for more useful resources, see our hub page dedicated to spring-flowering bulb information.
Horticultural Contributors:
Lance Russell is Brand Sales Lead at Thompson & Morgan. He has had a lifelong passion for gardening, developing his interest from an early age and later gaining formal horticultural qualifications at Sparsholt College. Lance previously worked in garden centres and wholesale horticulture before joining Thompson & Morgan in 2018 as a management trainee, progressing to a senior sales leadership role focused on client and brand growth.
Gavin Shaw is lead buyer at T&M. He studied Ornamental Horticulture at Myerscough College before embarking on a career in the horticultural industry that has spanned more than 25 years. Gavin previously worked for several large nurseries before taking up senior positions at both Suttons and Thompson & Morgan.
The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.