Tulipa 'Roeska'
flowerRoeska is a Triumph tulip, the group known for cup-shaped flowers on strong, medium-length stems and for offering the widest range of colors of any tulip division. Its blooms are single and purple. Dutch growers classify the color as purple, while some US bulb sellers describe it as pink, so check a photo from your supplier if the exact shade matters to you. It was bred by Marax in West Friesland, the Netherlands, and won the Interpolis Tulip Prize in 2020 as the most promising new tulip of the year, chosen for its sturdy stem, tidy leaves, fast growth, and vigorous bulbs. Stems reach about 16 to 18 in. It was developed for the cut flower trade and forces well in pots. Like most Triumph tulips it is a short-term perennial that blooms well for only a few years, so many gardeners replant for a full display.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 7 days
Bloom
~165 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
Well-draining, high in organic matter
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 8
When to Fertilize
At fall planting and again after bloom
Fertilizer
Bone meal or a 5-10-5 fertilizer
Plant Roeska bulbs in fall after the soil has cooled. October is ideal in cold-winter areas, and bulbs can go in as late as December as long as the ground is not frozen. Choose full sun and well-drained soil, working in compost if the soil is heavy, because tulip bulbs rot in wet ground. Set bulbs 6 to 8 in. deep and 4 to 6 in. apart with the pointed end up, then water once to settle the soil. In warm-winter areas such as the Deep South, refrigerate the bulbs for 12 to 16 weeks before planting, keeping them away from fruit, which gives off ethylene gas that can stop them from blooming. Plant the chilled bulbs from November to late December and treat them as annuals, since tulips there can usually be counted on for only one season. After flowering, remove the faded blooms so the plant does not set seed, and leave the foliage in place until it yellows, at least six weeks.
🌼 Have a different variety?Cultivars of the same species usually share the same basic care, and 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 3
Projected first bloom
Apr 26
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
Squirrels dig up newly planted bulbs, and mice and voles eat them. Enclosing the bulbs in wire mesh at planting is the only sure protection.
Both browse tulips, and deer eat the flowers. Plant close to the house or protect the bed with fencing where they are common.
Check emerging shoots and buds in spring and wash colonies off with a strong spray of water.
Bulb and root rots develop in wet, poorly drained soil. Plant in a well-drained spot, avoid overwatering, and discard any bulbs that look diseased.
This fungal blight twists the shoots and spots the leaves and flowers. There is no chemical control for home gardens, so remove and destroy affected plants and do not replant tulips in that spot for three years.
For the vase, cut Roeska when the whole bud is colored but still closed. Buds cut earlier may never open fully, and flowers cut later do not last as long. Trim half an inch to an inch off the stems and stand them upright in clean, cold water, because tulip stems take on whatever shape they are held in while they rehydrate. Keep freshly cut daffodils out of the same vase for the first day, since their sap shortens the life of tulips. In the garden, remove spent flowers but leave the leaves to die back naturally if you want the bulbs to return.
Roeska is grown as an ornamental for borders, containers, and cutting, not as a food plant. Tulip bulbs can be toxic if eaten, and handling them can irritate sensitive skin, so wear gloves when planting large numbers.
All parts of a tulip are toxic if eaten, with the highest concentration in the bulb. The plant contains tulipalin and can cause stomach pain, drooling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in people and in dogs, cats, and horses. Handling the bulbs can also cause an allergic skin reaction with redness, tingling, and cracking. Grow it strictly as an ornamental and 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.