Red tulips to grow

They look especially good combined with other intensely coloured flowers, like camassias, crown imperials, crocuses and hyacinths.

If you can, wait until November or December to plant your tulip bulbs. At this point, the first frosts will have hit, reducing the chance of diseases like tulip fire infecting the bulbs.

More tulip content:

• Layering spring bulbs in a container (video)
• How to lift and store tulip bulbs (video)

Discover some of the best red tulip varieties, below.

Tulipa 'Van Eijk'

'Van Eijk' is a lovely Darwin tulip with single, cherry-red flowers held on strong stems. It looks lovely growing with warm-yellow tulips and white daffodils. Flowers in early spring.

Height: 45cm.

'Toyota'

Tulipa 'Toyota' is a tall, late-flowering tulip with single, pink-red blooms bearing creamy edges. The flowers look fabulous dotted amongst a spring carpet of forget-me-nots.

H: 60cm.

'Doll's Minuet'

'Doll's Minuet' is a spectacular Viridiflora tulip with ruby-coloured blooms and green flames emerging from the base of each pointed petal. Perfect for an unusual bunch of cut flowers.

H: 50cm.

Tulipa praestans

This species tulip hails from the rocky Pamir-Alay mountainsides in central Asia. If happy, Tulipa praestans is long-lived and will naturalise. Varieties to grow include multi-flowering 'Fusilier' and the variegated 'Unicum'.

H: 30cm.

'Glasnost'

'Glasnost' is a flamboyant Parrot tulip with deep-red, yellow-edged flowers resembling ruffled feathers. Flowers mid- to late spring.

H: 50cm.

'Reputation'

As a Triumph tulip, 'Reputation' has single, cup-shaped flowers that bloom in mid- to late spring. This variety has crimson flowers flushed with lemon yellow at the edges.

H: 45cm.

'Red Proud'

'Red Proud' is a towering tulip with rich red blooms that last well in the garden or as cut flowers. Strong stems ensure they'll stand up well in wet, breezy conditions.

H: 65cm.

'Kingsblood'

An exquisite late-flowering tulip, 'Kingsblood' has cherry-red, single flowers that look fabulous growing with plants like sweet rocket and orange tulips like 'Ballerina' and 'Bestseller'.

H: 60cm.

Red species tulips to grow

• Tulipa linifolia
• Tulipa montana
• Tulipa schrenkii
• Tulipa sprengeri
• Tulipa agenensis