Tulips are like the couture gowns of the spring garden—elegant, eye-catching, and without a doubt, the stars of the show. They light up your yard with color and grace, and then—just like that—they’re gone before spring has even hit its stride. If you’ve grown them before, you know the thrill they bring… and the mess they leave behind. Those fading, floppy leaves? You’ve got to leave them if you want strong tulips next year, but they’re not exactly adding charm to your garden.
So what can you plant with tulips to keep things looking beautiful even after the blooms fade? Or better yet, what plants can help cover those tired leaves and carry your garden through the rest of the season? You’re definitely not alone in asking.
That’s where a bit of planning—and the right plant companions—makes all the difference.
When I’m planting tulips, I’m always thinking a few steps ahead. What’s going to fill in around them? What will bloom alongside them, then take the stage when the tulips step back? I want plants that complement tulips without competing, that add color, texture, and energy right when the garden needs it most. And if they also help by repelling pests or keeping hidden underground “attackers” at bay? Even better.
Here are 15 of my favorite tulip companions—plants I turn to year after year because they create beautiful, lasting displays that carry the season forward. Let’s find the perfect partners to give your prized bulbs the helping hand they deserve.
1. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.)
Not only do daffodils bloom roughly at the same season as tulips (a bit earlier, ok), but they are also very helpful indeed. They are, in fact, toxic, so they will provide a great contrast with Tulipa blooms in terms of shape and color (and foliage too), but at the same time, they will also deter rodents and deer that may wish to munch away at the other bulbous leaves.
2. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.)
Here’s another spring flowering bulbous perennial that makes an excellent companion plant for tulips. To start with they have a color range that tulips don’t have – blue! So, if you want a contrast between the cup shaped and drooping bell shaped blossoms of the two varieties, you know Muscari is an excellent choice. But this fast-spreading plant offers you another benefit. Its dense foliage which shades the roots of its neighbors, protecting them and even extending their blooming season!
3. Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
“Hold on,” you may say, “snowdrops bloom before tulips!” And you are right, and, by the time our protagonist is flowering, you can’t see the little white and green harbingers of spring any more… So, why am I suggesting this early blossoming bulbous perennial as a companion plant? We need to go back in time… When did you plant the bulbs? In fall, many of us forget where we put them by the time winter is over… If you are forgetful like me, then grow snowdrops (or crocuses) in the same spot, and you won’t dig them up by mistake. On to more “normal” reasons now…
4. Alliums (Allium spp.)
There are two reasons why I am suggesting alliums (decorative varieties, but if you fancy the kitchen one, it won’t do any harm). The main one is that most pests and munching mammals (like deer, rodents etc.) literally hate their smell and flavor. So, they are excellent deterrents. But there’s an aesthetic one as well; their long (lasting) foliage and stems add a vertical dimension to your garden’s composition, and they hide the dying leaves of our protagonist.
5. Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Lamb’s ears is the first non bulbous perennial we meet as a great companion plant for tulips. Very underrated, this little beauty has a lot to offer – to start with it is a good and decorative ground cover, and its bluish-silvery leaves give you a strong decorative contrast. But its evergreen leaves are also fuzzy, hairy, and they deter many crawling pests, including slugs and snails, which are quite active in spring, just when Tulipa grows and flowers.
6. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet alyssum has a long blooming season, from spring to frost indeed, and some of its shades contrast really well with tulips (like purple), as do the many and dense clusters of round flowers. But there’s another reason, and it’s in the name: its very fragrant floral display attracts pollinators, while its dense foliage prevents weeds. Three reasons that make it a great companion plant.
7. Coral Bells (Heucheras spp.)
There’s a simple reason why coral bells are great companions for tulips: their amazing and colorful leaves. If you want your flower beds to keep a strong palette for a long time, and hide the dying foliage of your bulbous perennials, this leafy wonder is an excellent choice. The long and delicate spikes of little flowers will add another contrast, as they bloom roughly at the same time as Tulipa.
8. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Creeping phlox will bloom from March to June, forming a carpet of blossoms at the feet of your tulips, so you can already see why it makes a great companion for them. But I want to add another reason, actually two: its dense mounds form ground cover, preventing weeds, and this low lying perennial is also great against soil erosion. And a fourth reason: its roots don’t compete with bulbs.
9. Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
Columbine will start blooming just about at the end of the tulip season, with the overlap of a month with late flowering varieties. The contrast is just striking, with both blossoms and foliage, and the carpet of finely cut leaves that this perennial offers will give shade to the bulbs, and also hide them when they dry up and die back.
10. Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
Catmint is really the ideal companion plant for our bulbous perennial. Its long spikes packed with loads of tiny flowers come from late spring to early summer, attracting hordes of pollinators, and their purplish-violet to lavender color will contrast beautifully with tulips, as will the herbaceous and lush foliage. But while these green leafy mounds will hide the yellowing ones of our protagonists later on in the season, Nepeta will also offer your flower beds ground cover, and it will deter many pests, like aphids, and rodents as well!
11. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Very easy to grow, strong and super generous, creeping thyme will be a great companion for your tulips for many reasons. To start with, it will explode with loads of purplish blossoms at the end of spring, and they will form a colorful carpet for your bulbous perennials. But there’s more, as usual… This “crawling perennial” attracts lots of pollinators while, at the same time, it repels pests, deer and rodents – the best of both worlds! But there’s more; it offers you ground cover all year round, it fights soil erosion and, naturally, you can use it to cook as well, both leaves and flowers…
12. Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis sylvatica)
Don’t you love forget-me-nots? I do, and just imagine their tiny sky blue flowers forming that amazing carpet like a quiet sea at the feet of your tulips? Better than weeds, bare earth of mulch as well. The good news is that both plants flower at the same time so you get the full eye-catching effect for your beds and garden, and that, like mulch, Myosotis sylvatica, as botanists call it, does prevent weeds as well, thanks to the very dense clumps of foliage it grows throughout the season. Finally, there are varieties in purplish pink and whitish if you prefer a softer effect…
13. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
Lady’s mantle is a good gardener for your flower beds. In fact, it traps moisture, so your bulbs will not get dry, and it also suppresses weeds thanks to the dense mounds of lush foliage it forms. Now though, it is also the lime green color of its leaves that makes it a good companion for your tulips, as its fresh “citrusy” shade will offer you light and a great contrast with the king of bulbs. Now, as to the flowers, it may blossom a bit late in cold regions (from early summer) or in spring in warmer climates. So, if you want to synchronize the two floral displays (good idea indeed!) I suggest you pick the ‘Thriller’ cultivar, an early blooming variety.
14. Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla)
Siberian bugloss flowers from April to May, and you know what it means for your beds if you grow it with tulips… Yes, great contrast between the large flowers of your bulbous perennials and the tiny, but sky blue ones of this companion plant! But now let’s look at the foliage too; one plant has heart shaped leaves, the other that are usually lance shaped. This is not just for texture and contrast though, because Brunnera macrophylla also gives you good ground cover and moisture retention in the soil, and then it will hide your Tulipa as they dry up and die back.
15. Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.)
True, true, lungwort will announce the tulip’s blooming season, rather than match it, but this is not why I picked it as an ideal companion plant. You may still get some overlap, so the blue and pink florets will add a twist and interest to your beds, but… One reason is that it will hide the dying foliage of Tulipa with its dense, spotted and very decorative foliage, and it will fill in gaps as well. But Pulmonaria is also a “good friend” because it deters pests, including slugs and snails!
Great Friends to Grow with Your Tulips!
So, now you have a list of 15 great companion plants for your tulips. Each has something to offer to your flower beds and garden; some just look good together, others protect our bulbous perennial. So, whatever your needs, now you have at least one variety to grow…
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.