Tulipa

Tulipa agenensis

A stunning Israeli and Jordanian species with stunning, bright currant-red flowers. There is a touch of yellow-green at the base on the outside and black internal markings, in the throat, in the shape of a 6-pointed star. Few.

Tulipa agenensistulageage	£10.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa aitchisonii clusianoides

A lovely white flowered form gathered in Afghanistan in the mountains outside of Kabul before the Russian invasion – many years ago.

The white petals are tinged with crimson on the outside and sit around a large, deep purple-violet centre.

A fabulous plant, never in abundant supply and it has been many years since we have been able to offer this. Few only.

Tulipa aitchisonii clusianoidestulaitclu	£15.00
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Tulipa bakeri Lilac Wonder

Intense lilac-purple flowers with a deep yellow star in the throat all on very compact plants.

This is an old horticultural selection of the species from Crete but it is vigorous and floriferous and has stood the test of time very well.

Tulipa bakeri Lilac Wondertulbaklil	£1.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa batalinii

As a true plant, this has become inexplicably scarce of recent years. The name can still be found in lists, but I would bet, fifty to one, that plants offered under this name either fail to arrive, or turn out to be hybrid!

We have a small number of flowering sized bulbs, which have just arrived from the only producer that I know of with the real plant!

Long-lasting, pale yellow flowers are borne throughout April on 10-15cm stems. As these age, the pale yellow matures to a really beautiful, pastel primrose. It is shorter and far more beautifully coloured than any of the over-abundant hybrids.

Garden soil, good drainage, full sun. They can be lifted every few years to ease congestion and clean up old tunics, though this is not essential every year.

Tulipa bataliniitulbatbat	£3.60		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa bifloriformis Starlight

A dwarf plant with lovely white flowers, each with a golden star in the throat, several to a stem. The small black tips to the anthers make a super contrast.

This is far more attractive than the old Dutch stocks; the flower colour is bright and clear, with no muddy shades and the short stems give a stout, dwarf habit much more in keeping with the flower size and presentation.

Tulipa bifloriformis Starlighttulbiflor	£2.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa clusiana cashmeriana

We often get asked for Tulipa clusiana but have always refused to stock it, since every time we try to buy some in to grow, we get sent yellow-flowered hybrids.

Finally one trusted grower has raised a true stock and we have a small number available. The origins of this are from a 1969 collection made in Kashmir for the now defunct firm of P.N. Kohli formerly of Srinagar.

The plants have white or palest pink petals, which have broad carmine-red bands on the exterior, all on 20cm stems. The centre of each flower is yellow, sometimes stained with a little blackcurrant purple. A superb plant, but, I stress, a very limited offering.

Tulipa clusiana cashmerianatulclucas	£6.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa clusiana Cynthia

Golden yellow flowers flushed with apricot at the tips of the inners and bright cinnabar on the exterior of the outer segments, on 12-18cm tall, stout stems over grey-green foliage in April. Long lasting.

Sunny, well drained garden spot, perennates well when happy.

Tulipa clusiana Tubergens Gem

Bright sunny yellow with a rich red exterior on 20+cm stems in April. The red deepens to a line in the centre of the petals. The base of the inners is also flushed red and the beautifully almond-shaped buds, develop an attractive "flare" at the mouth with maturity.

Tulipa dasystemonoides

(this is NOT dasystemon that is another, different, species!)

Small bulbs make a very short (5-8cm) flower stem. This bears one to three starry flowers, pale yellow on opening, but becoming brighter on their second day, when they emit a perfume, suggestive of saffron. The anthers are yellow with a tiny black tip.

A beautiful, early flowering species. Very dwarf and happy outside in a well-drained, sunny spot, hardy. Tien Shan.

Tulipa dasystemonoidestuldasdas	£4.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa didieri

The Dutch firm of Van Tubergen raised this stock from three bulbs supplied by the Baron Perrier de la Bathie at the beginning of the 20th Century. It was endemic to Savoy, where it grew in two wild stations only, near Aime and in 'Les Clappeys'.

Both habitats have been destroyed by building, for ski facilities, but the species survives in gardens. As recently as 2009 a few feral plants were rediscovered in region, in an abandoned garden. Not truly "wild" but the neo-Tulips of France are probably ancient introductions anyway.

Flowers of rich currant-red, with the points of the slender segments slightly deflexed. The exterior of outer segments tinged crimson. Centre blackish with the thinnest of yellow margins. Foliage and stems slender. Flowering is late in May.

Tulipa didierituldiddid	£3.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa dubia Tschimgan

This stock is traceable to the Mount Tschimgan populations in former USSR. A variable species, this form is a lovely pinky-orange, with the petals edged in yellow, all on short plants.

A rare plant that we have had only a few tines in over 30 years, and never in this colour form.

Tulipa dubia Tschimgantuldubdub	£7.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa ferghanica

Glaucous blue leaves each with a phenomenally wavy edge and an open cup-shaped flower with a pronounced “waist”, all in pure gold broadly banded with orange-bronze on the outside of the outer petals. The bulb tunic is densely pubescent with a leathery exterior.

Tulipa ferghanicatulferfer	£4.00
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Tulipa greigii aurea

This is the true species and not some ghastly hybrid of which there are far too many. It stays quite low 20cm being typical but the flowers are large and wide open - in full sun, they can reach 12cm across. They have an elegant shape that defies description, you really need to see it!

This colour form was selected from a wild find and subsequently increased in cultivation. It is a gorgeous rich yellow, unlike the normal red-flowered species. Deep in the throat are a few orange-red signal patches. The leaves only slightly spotted.

A gorgeous form of one of, if not the, most beautiful wild tulips. Discovered by Paul Graeber near Taschkent, it was named in 1877 after S. Greig, the president of the Russian Horticultural Society.

Tulipa greigii aureatulgreaur	£6.00		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa hoogiana

One of the rarest of our tulips this is the largest and most flamboyant of the wild species, with massive flowers.

The original stock was collected by Dr Boris Fedtschenko in the Kopet Dag of Turkmenistan, in 1910. It found its way to Holland and was named for the brothers Hoog. These bulbs are direct descendants of that stock, from the Hoog family.

Huge orange-scarlet flowers, with a black base surrounded by a yellow margin. The outer segments are marked with a touch of green and reflex slightly with age. Well drained spot with a dry summer rest.

Tulipa hoogianatulhoohoo	£5.75		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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Tulipa humilis Rudbar

Originally found in Iran on the Rudbar Pass near Zinjan at 2200m, by Daan Smit, formerly curator of Amsterdam V.U. Botanic Garden, in spring 2004.

This is a true wild form with very dwarf stems, bright magenta flowers and a hint of steel-blue deep in the throat, with navy anthers.

Very hardy, as you might expect given its wild home.

Tulipa humilis Rudbartulhumrud	£12.50		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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