Skagit Valley tulip bloom could arrive up to 2 weeks early

Hints of color are beginning to appear across western Washington, and growers in Skagit County say this year’s tulip season could arrive ahead of schedule. At Roozengaarde, tulip and daffodil grower Brent Roozen said fields that are typically bare or just turning green this time of year are already showing signs of change.

“We’re seeing a little bit of color here,” said Roozen. “We’re still in February, but we’re having some blooms pop out. So it looks like we are going to have an early spring bloom this year.” Roozen said that by late February, growers are often looking at mostly dirt, with tulips only a couple of inches out of the ground. This year, he said, conditions appear different.

“We typically are all green in the field this time of year. If we’re seeing any green,” he said, adding, “we’re about two weeks ahead of schedule.”

If warmer weather continues, the bloom could move up even more. “If we have a couple days in the 60s in early March we could be creeping toward the earliest bloom we’ve ever seen,” said Roozen.