Tulips

Overview

Tulips are a Senior Farmer-tier flower crop in Starsand Island that grows exclusively during Winter. They are one of four plantable flower species in the game, alongside Orchids (Spring), Moonrises (Summer), and Roses (Autumn). Tulips come in three base colors (Red, Yellow, and Blue) that can be purchased directly from the Happiness Seed Shop, and six additional hybrid colors (Orange, Pink, Purple, Green, Brown, and Black) that are obtained through cross-breeding.

Each tulip seed produces 4 tulips in a single harvest after a growth period of 4 days and 18 hours (4.75 days). Tulips are planted on standard tilled Soil rather than Trellises or Paddy Fields. Beyond selling for profit, tulips serve as gifts for NPCs, provide flowers for Aquascaping, and support beekeeping by giving nearby bees access to nectar sources. Rarer hybrid colors sell for significantly more than base colors, making cross-breeding a worthwhile investment during the winter season.

Quick Stats

Color Variants

Tulips come in nine distinct colors. The three base colors can be purchased as seeds from Graminova at the Happiness Seed Shop once you reach Senior Farmer. The six hybrid colors must be created through cross-breeding first; once you have harvested a hybrid tulip, you can produce more of its seeds using the Grinder.

Hybrid seed costs listed above reflect the Grinder output cost equivalent. You cannot buy hybrid seeds directly from the shop; you must first cross-breed the color and then process harvested tulips into seeds. Black Tulips are the most valuable, selling for 418 Gold each, which is more than double the sell price of a Red Tulip.

Cross-Breeding

Tulip cross-breeding follows the same mechanics as all other flowers in Starsand Island. Plant two tulips of different colors on tilled soil with exactly one empty tilled plot between them. When both parent tulips reach maturity, there is a chance that a new tulip of a hybrid color will sprout in the empty gap. The resulting color depends on the parent combination. For a full explanation of cross-breeding mechanics, see the Cross-Breeding Flowers page.

Cross-Breeding Combinations

The table below lists the parent color combinations that can produce each hybrid tulip color. Some colors have multiple valid parent pairings.

Breeding Strategy

The most efficient progression starts with the three base colors. Buy Red, Yellow, and Blue Tulip seeds from the shop. Plant Red next to Yellow with a gap to produce Orange. Plant Blue next to Yellow with a gap for Green. Plant Blue next to Red with a gap for Purple. Once you have Orange, Green, and Purple, combine secondary colors to create Brown. Finally, pair Brown with any other color to have a chance at producing Black.

Using Nutrient Soil IV fertilizer (available at Senior Farmer for 250 Gold per 5 bags) boosts pollination probability by 15%, which directly increases your chances of a successful cross-breed. Apply it to the empty plot between the two parent tulips before they reach maturity.

Growing Tulips

Tulips grow on standard tilled Soil, so no special structures like Trellises or Paddy Fields are needed. Till a plot with your hoe, plant the tulip seed, and water it daily. After 4 days and 18 hours, the tulip matures and can be harvested. Each seed produces 4 tulips in a single harvest.

Since tulips are locked to Winter, you have a 28-day window each year to grow them. With a 4.75-day growth period, you can fit approximately five full growth cycles within a single winter season if you plant promptly at the start. Any tulips still growing when Winter ends will wither, so plan your final planting accordingly.

Set up sprinklers near your tulip plots to automate daily watering. This frees up stamina for other winter activities like fishing, mining, or tending livestock. Placing Bumblebee hives nearby also helps, as bees provide a pollination bonus that can speed up crop growth.

Gifting

All tulip colors share the same NPC gift preferences. Tulips make solid winter gifts since other flower species are out of season.

Seven NPCs love tulips, making them a strong gifting option during Winter. Giving a loved gift provides +15 AP (Affection Points), while liked gifts provide +10 AP. Avoid giving tulips to Loren, who hates all flowers. For a comprehensive list of every NPC's preferences, see the Gift Guide.

Uses

Beyond selling and gifting, tulips have several practical applications.

• Selling: Base tulips sell for 194 to 204 Gold, while rare hybrids like Black Tulips reach 418 Gold. Selling to the Merchant Ship can yield roughly double the standard price.

• Aquascaping: All tulip colors can be placed in aquascaping setups for decorative purposes.

• Beekeeping: Flowers planted near beehives provide bees with nectar, supporting honey production. Tulips are the only flower species available during Winter, making them the primary flower source for winter beekeeping.

• Grinder (Seed Production): Place 2 tulips of the same color into the Grinder to produce seeds. Base color tulips require only 2 tulips. Hybrid color tulips require 2 tulips plus 2 Moo Balls to grind into seeds.

• Senior Farmer Trial: The Senior Farmer trial quest requires you to cross-breed flowers and deliver specific hybrid colors to Graminova. Tulips (along with other flower species) can be used to fulfill this requirement.

No cooking or production recipes currently use tulips as an ingredient.

Everlasting Tulip Seeds

Like all crops in Starsand Island, tulips have an Everlasting variant. Everlasting Tulip Seeds produce plants that regrow after each harvest without needing to be replanted, producing tulips indefinitely. Everlasting crops also ignore season restrictions, meaning an Everlasting Tulip will grow year-round, not just during Winter.

There are several ways to obtain Everlasting Tulip Seeds:

• Eternal Blessings Skill: Unlocked at Senior Farmer tier, this skill gives a chance of receiving an Everlasting Seed when harvesting any regular crop. At Blessing Level 3, the probability increases further.

• Islandpedia Rewards: Completing certain entries in the Plants section of the Islandpedia may reward you with Everlasting Seeds for specific crops.

• Creamy Seeds Buff: Eating Mirthshroom Soup grants a temporary buff that increases the chance of dropping Everlasting Seeds during harvest. Stack this with the Eternal Blessings skill for the best odds.

• Random Harvest Drops: Occasionally, harvesting a normal tulip plant will yield an Everlasting Tulip Seed alongside the regular tulip.

Everlasting Seeds are safe to relocate. If you remove an Everlasting crop, the seed returns to your inventory for replanting elsewhere. Building up Everlasting Tulip Seeds of various colors lets you maintain a permanent flower field that produces tulips in every season, which is particularly valuable for year-round beekeeping and consistent NPC gifting.

Tips

• Plant on day 1 of Winter: With a 4.75-day growth cycle, planting immediately at the start of Winter gives you time for up to five full rounds of tulips within the 28-day season.

• Prioritize cross-breeding early: Start cross-breeding as soon as you unlock Senior Farmer so you can build up a stock of hybrid seeds. Brown and Black tulips sell for significantly more than base colors.

• Use Nutrient Soil IV on breeding plots: The 15% pollination boost increases cross-breeding success rates. Apply it to the empty gap plot before the parent tulips mature.

• Keep extra tulips for Grinder seed production: Rather than selling every tulip, grind a few into seeds so you have planting stock for the next Winter or for continued cross-breeding.

• Sell rare colors to the Merchant Ship: The Merchant Ship pays roughly double the standard vendor price. Timing your Black Tulip or Brown Tulip sales to coincide with the ship's visits can yield over 800 Gold per tulip.

• Tulips are the only winter flower for bees: If you are running beehives, planting tulips nearby during Winter ensures your bees have a nectar source when no other flower species are available.

• Gift tulips to Graminova and Sagewood: Both NPCs love tulips and are frequently visited during the farming progression. Gifting tulips during Winter is an easy way to build affection.

• Work toward Everlasting Seeds: Once you have Everlasting Tulip Seeds, you can grow tulips in every season. This removes the Winter restriction entirely and provides a steady supply of flowers for gifting, selling, and beekeeping year-round.