Description

Tulip Oxford is one of the most enduring and recognisable Darwin Hybrid tulips, famed for its brilliant, glowing scarlet-red blooms with a subtle golden sheen at the base of each petal. This combination gives the flowers depth and radiance, catching the light in a way that makes them seem to shimmer across spring plantings. When grown in mass drifts, they deliver an iconic, fiery carpet of colour that is instantly visible even at a distance, making Oxford a perennial favourite for both public landscapes and private gardens.

Reaching 50–60 cm in height, its tall, sturdy stems support large, classic tulip cups that bloom reliably in mid-spring, bridging the gap between early-flowering singles and later doubles or lily types. Darwin Hybrids are specifically bred for resilience, and in Irish conditions, they show excellent weather tolerance, holding up well to strong spring winds and heavy rain without collapsing. This robustness makes them particularly suitable for exposed gardens, civic plantings, road verges, and large-scale municipal schemes, where consistency and impact are key.

Oxford performs best in full sun and moderately fertile, free-draining soils. It appreciates slightly sandy or loamy soils that don’t hold winter wet, and benefits from autumn planting between October and December, when the soil has cooled but before frost sets in. Once established, Oxford often shows a degree of perennial reliability, returning for several years if planted deeply and given space to regenerate. In landscapes, it is especially effective when planted in large blocks or bold ribbons, often combined with contrasting whites like Maureen or darker shades such as Queen of Night for striking colour juxtapositions.

In terms of biodiversity, Oxford is moderately useful. Its single, open form makes nectar and pollen more accessible to early-season pollinators, particularly bumblebees, compared to tightly double varieties. However, its contribution is short-lived and best balanced with complementary bulbs such as Muscari armeniacum, Chionodoxa luciliae, Allium Purple Sensation, or dwarf narcissus like Tête-à-Tête. These combinations extend pollinator support into late spring and early summer while creating layered, textured displays.

 Its true value lies in its dramatic colour, its durability, and its ability to anchor spring schemes with bold structure. For florists, Oxford is also a popular cut flower, with its tall stems and large cups offering excellent vase life, providing bold red impact in arrangements where it can be mixed with whites, purples, or soft pastels.

In Irish gardening, Tulip Oxford remains one of the most reliable and impactful choices for mid-spring planting. It thrives in civic beds, roadside verges, public parks, estate gardens, and private borders, delivering scale and vibrancy that withstands the unpredictability of Atlantic weather. Planted en masse, it evokes the timeless power of red tulips as a symbol of strength, resilience, and renewal in spring landscapes.