Tulipa 'Angelique'
flowerAngelique is a double late, or peony-flowered, tulip that fools people into thinking it is a peony. Each bloom is packed with layers of soft, ruffled petals in pale rose-pink that fade to nearly white at the edges, with a light, pleasant fragrance, carried on 16 to 18 in. stems. It flowers late in the tulip season, extending the show after the early and mid-season tulips finish, and its full, romantic, blowsy blooms are prized for cottage gardens, containers, and wedding-style arrangements. Like most double tulips it is best treated as a relatively short-lived perennial, often replanted every year or two for the best display.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 7 days
Bloom
~175 days
Difficulty
easy
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
4-6 in. apart
Planting Depth
6-8 in. deep, pointed end up
Soil pH
6.0-7.0
Soil Type
Fertile, sandy, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 8
When to Fertilize
At fall planting and again as shoots emerge
Fertilizer
Bulb fertilizer or bone meal
Plant Angelique bulbs in fall, about 6 weeks before the ground freezes, in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Set bulbs 6 to 8 in. deep and 4 to 6 in. apart, pointed end up. Like all tulips it needs winter chilling to bloom and resents wet soil. Because the heavy double flowers can be weighed down by rain, site it in a spot with some shelter from strong wind and driving storms. Deadhead after bloom and let the foliage die back naturally. Double tulips tend to decline faster than Darwin Hybrids, so many gardeners replant fresh bulbs every year or two to keep the lush, full look.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care — they differ mainly in flower color, height, and bloom form, not in how you grow them. So this guide still applies even if your exact variety isn't the one shown.
Direct sow
Nov 12
Projected first bloom
May 6
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Protect newly planted bulbs with wire mesh over the bed, or interplant with rodent-resistant daffodils
Browse the lush buds - use repellents or plant near the house, and mix in deer-resistant bulbs
Hose colonies off emerging shoots and buds and support natural predators
A fungal blight worse in wet, crowded plantings - ensure airflow and drainage, remove distorted scorched foliage, and do not replant tulips in the same spot every year
Cut Angelique for the vase in the cool morning when the buds are colored but not fully open, and the heavy doubles will unfurl into lush, peony-like blooms indoors. Use a clean vase and cold water and recut the stems; the flowers keep growing and opening, so they make a dramatic, changing arrangement. In the garden, deadhead the spent flowers so energy goes to the bulb, but leave the foliage to yellow and die back naturally if you hope for a return next spring.
Like other showy hybrid tulips, the double-flowered Angelique is an ornamental rather than a wildlife plant; its packed petals make nectar and pollen largely inaccessible, so it offers little to bees. Its value is ornamental - a fragrant, luxurious, late-season cut flower and border tulip with the look of a peony. As with all tulips, the bulbs are toxic if eaten.
Tulip bulbs are the most poisonous part - and the flowers, leaves, and roots contain it too - holding tulipalin and glycoproteins that cause stomach pain, drooling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if eaten, in people and in dogs, cats, and horses. Handling the bulbs can also cause an itchy allergic skin reaction known as 'tulip fingers.' Grown strictly as an ornamental; do not eat any part.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.