The final tulip update of the season

June has nearly arrived, bringing with it the final Tulip Test Garden update for the spring of 2024. Thank you to everyone who submitted reports of their tulips emerging and blooming, including many teachers and students across the continent.  Seeing the bloom of a red tulip is a favorite sign of spring for many people, and your photos have helped brighten our spring just a little more.

By the numbers

In 2023, you reported 93 plantings totaling roughly 4,200 bulbs. This year, we received 124 reports of tulips emerging and 91 bloom reports from approximately 180 participants. Thank you for your participation in this project!

Our earliest report of a blooming tulip came from V.Dianne in Zephyr, Texas on February 22, with reports of 80-degree weather at the time.

The final photographed report of the season came from Sarah in Gilmanton, New Hampshire on May 2, with a photo of second graders recording their observations, and Joan in Dunrobin, Ontario submitted a report of 12 tulips on May 8, writing, “They have taken a long time to open up but are finally blooming.” As of now, that was the final report received for the season, but if you know when your tulips bloomed but forgot to submit your sighting to Journey North, you can still do so by clicking here and selecting the correct date.

Get involved

While you probably aren’t ready to start thinking about fall yet, you can prepare for next season by printing your Tulip Test Garden signs this summer. Click here for our step-by-step guide to participating and keep your eyes peeled toward the end of the summer for more information.

And if you’ve enjoyed participating in Journey North’s Tulip Test Garden project, consider participating in other projects from Journey North by submitting your sightings of monarch butterflies, robins, hummingbirds and more. Click here to see Journey North’s tracked species and then click “Sightings” to start recording your observations throughout the year.

Have a wonderful summer!