Gardening & Outdoors
Scrumptious “ice cream tulips” will have you thinking ahead to spring (and summer delights)
Jessica
10.13.21

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream – tulips, that is. Don’t these look delicious and fluffy and exactly like something you’d like to see in your own backyard? You can make that happen.

One of the most common flowers associated with spring is the tulip. The flower is so special that it even has its own festivals. Countries like Australia, England, and the Netherlands all celebrate tulip festivals.

The beautiful ice cream tulip is one of the most interesting tulips you’ll see.

It has double white petals that are closely arranged next to each other, forming what looks like a white ice cream scoop. Its base is typically made of deep pink petals.

At first glance, you’d think it’s vanilla ice cream!

Compared with normal tulips, an ice cream tulip has at least twice the number of petals. This makes them look a lot fluffier.

Ice cream tulips are quite rare.

They can grow as tall as 12 to 16 inches. The flowers start to bloom in late April and early May, but you can plant them in the fall or any time before the first frost.

When their buds start to appear, they’ll look a bit darker. One good reason for this is their outer petals. They have pink feathering and streaks of green. The inner petals show their softer colors once the flowers have fully opened.

This kind of tulip likes the sun.

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If you are thinking of growing ice cream tulips in your garden, plant them in an area where they can be exposed to full sun for about half of the day. Exposure to partial shade works, too.

The stunning tulips grow best in well-drained soil.

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However, they can tolerate other kinds of soil, like loamy, clay, or sandy. Their ideal soil pH is between 6.0 to 6.5.

Ice cream tulips are a relatively new variety of tulips.

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Here’s what the Amsterdam Tulip Museum has to say about it:

“One of the more ‘out there’ looking Tulips, Tulipa “Ice Cream” first appeared on the scene in 1999. Created by well-known breeding and distribution company ‘Vertuco BV’, it features soft pink petals at its base, with fluffy white petals pouring out on top, like a Sundae or scoop of, yes, ice cream. This particular Tulip was selected as its appearance helps to truly highlight how much variety exists in the world of Tulips – they truly come in all shapes and sizes!”

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You can actually purchase the bulbs from several sellers online. Take note that they can be quite expensive. This is one of the reasons why they aren’t commonly sold at local flower markets.

With how beautiful they are, ice cream tulips are worth every penny.

They can easily make your garden look more visually pleasing. Plus, they create that warm feeling of spring. Fortunately, there’s a lot of photos of ice cream tulips online. They offer an excellent way to enjoy the flowers’ beauty even if it’s just on your screen.

Want to see what the real things look like? Make sure to check out the video below.

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