Tulipa ‘Little Princess’ - Copper-Orange Botanical Tulip for Spring Colour

Tiny in stature but absolutely not in personality, Tulipa pulchella ‘Little Princess’ is a miniature botanical tulip producing vivid star-shaped flowers in mid-spring.

The blooms are an extraordinary coppery-orange to burnt orange, opening widely in sunshine to reveal a dramatically contrasting centre: a dark, almost black eye surrounded by a brilliant golden-yellow ring. One bulb can produce several flowers, so even a small group can develop into a surprisingly colourful spring display.

Growing to only around 10cm tall, ‘Little Princess’ belongs somewhere its details can actually be appreciated - amongst gravel and stones, along a sunny border edge, in a raised bed or alpine-style planting, or in containers close to the house.

This isn't a tulip for disappearing halfway down a herbaceous border.  This is one for getting down to bee level and having a proper look.

Wildlife value

‘Little Princess’ isn't native to Britain, and we're not going to pretend that a cultivated botanical tulip carries the ecological importance of a native wildflower.

Its attraction for a wildlife-friendly garden lies in its simple, open flower structure.

In sunshine the flowers open broadly, leaving their pollen-bearing structures exposed and readily accessible to visiting insects.

We therefore regard it as useful additional spring forage - something to grow amongst a much broader succession of native and wildlife-friendly spring flowers rather than as a replacement for them.

It fits our approach perfectly:

Native where ecological relationships matter most; carefully chosen ornamentals where they genuinely provide useful additional forage.

Planting & care

Position: Full sun. Sunshine also encourages the flowers to open and display those remarkable dark centres.

Soil: Well-drained soil is essential. ‘Little Princess’ is particularly well suited to gravel gardens, rockeries and raised beds where excessive winter wet is less likely to become a problem.

Planting depth: Around 10cm deep, pointed end upwards.

Spacing: Approximately 8cm apart, although we prefer planting these little tulips in loose, irregular groups rather than regimented rows.

Height: Approximately 10cm.

Flowering: Mid-spring.

After flowering: Allow the foliage to yellow and die back naturally. While those leaves remain green they're replenishing the bulb's reserves for the following year.

Given sunny, free-draining conditions, ‘Little Princess’ can return and increase rather than needing to be treated simply as disposable seasonal bedding.

Small but spectacular

The botanical ancestry behind ‘Little Princess’ comes from a very different landscape from a British garden.

The plant historically known as Tulipa pulchella is now placed botanically within Tulipa humilis, with Kew recognising Tulipa humilis var. pulchella as native from southern and south-central Türkiye through Iraq to northern Iran.

Those wild origins help explain the character of these miniature botanical tulips: low-growing, sun-loving and happiest where drainage is excellent.

SAFETY NOTE

Tulips are not edible. Bulbs and other plant material can cause significant discomfort if eaten and may also cause skin irritation in some people. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin and keep bulbs away from children and pets likely to eat them.

Why Wild Your Garden?

We carefully select bulbs that earn their place in a wildlife-friendly garden - prioritising native and naturalised species where ecological relationships matter most, alongside carefully chosen ornamentals that provide useful additional forage.

Orders are hand-picked for quality and packed in paper wherever suitable, with breathable net packaging used where necessary to keep bulbs in the best possible condition.

We work with specialist bulb growers and suppliers, including long-established local growers.