The species tulips are the early birds of tulip-dom, gay and beautifully different.
The tulip parade usually starts with Tulipa kaufmanniana, the waterlily tulip. This charming species grows about eight inches high and produces beautiful creamy-white flowers with centers lightly marked in red.
From it has come a lovely race of tulips that will thrive undisturbed for years.
Race of Tulips
Stresa Tulip
The tallest of these is the attractive 10-inch Stresa, a golden yellow with an orange-red band on the outside of the petals and marked with red on the base inside.
The First Tulip
An 8-inch variety called The First is the earliest to flower. Its color goes from creamy yellow to white. The outside is a vivid crimson, bordered white.
Cesar Franck Tulip
The strikingly beautiful deep yellow Cesar Franck has an orange-red flame on the outer petals. Johann Strauss is a dainty white with a cream center and the outside flushed red.
Another about the same height as Fritz Kreisler, a magnificent flower of warm watermelon rose becoming paler toward the margin
Gaiety Tulip
In this group is the 4-inch Gaiety, an enchanting flower that resembles a water lily as it opens out to show its creamy interior and base of orange-yellow. The outer petals are marked pink-red.
Peacock Tulip
The peacock tulips are hybrids from greige x kaufmanniana and are available in color combinations and seifs in red, cream, and light yellow. Some are mottled, while others have black bases.
Colored Wild Tulips
From the brilliantly colored wild tulip, fosteriana comes an outstanding strain, of which the blazing Red Emperor is one of the most popular.
This sturdy grower is early to bloom, bearing magnificent flowers on 20-inch stems. The glossy black base bordered with yellow creates a startling contrast when fully opened.
Somewhat newer is White Emperor (purissima), a large, fresh-looking, milky white flower.
Although a little shorter, it makes a wonderful companion for the Red Emperor.
There are several showy beauties in this race that are worth trying, including:
- Rockery Beauty
- Slightly taller, red Holland Glory
Many other species of tulips are rapidly gaining in popularity. Among them are the following:
- Graceful Lady Tulip
- T. clusiana, sometimes called the candy stick tulip. Its captivating flowers have small, white, pointed petals striped with cherry red.
Tulipa Dasystemon
T. dasystemon (tarda) is a delightful little gem. The smooth yellow and white starry flowers come in clusters on five-inch stems. They are like enchanting bouquets set in the ground.
Biflora Turkestanica
Another beauty is Biflora Turkestanica, having several creamy star-shaped blooms sprinkled with cinnamon on the outside.
Tulipa Biflora
Closely related to dasystemon is Biflora, a pretty little species whose small creamy flowers, shaded purplish on the outside, are borne on branching stems.
Praestans–Bouquet Tulip
A little taller are the Praestans, bearing from two to five vivid orange-scarlet flowers to a single stem above clean dark foliage. They are frequently called bouquet tulips.
Glowing Scarlet Eichleri
The glowing Scarlet Eichleri from Turkestan adds flashy color to the lively spring picture. It is satiny black at the base and has handsome grayish-green foliage.
Sylvestris Tulip
Another choice of tulip is the elegantly beautiful Sylvestris. Its long graceful stems proudly display buttery yellow flowers that are sweetly fragrant.
Acuminata Tulip
Also lovely is the species Acuminata. The slim 18-inch stems bear primrose-yellow flowers suffused with scarlet. The petals are long, narrow, slightly twisting, and tapering to almost a thread at the points.
Orphanidea Tulip
Orphanidea is another interesting species having graceful flowers in an attractive combination of buff-orange, bronzy green, and yellow.
Greige Tulips
The Greige Tulips are characterized by their beautiful markings and mottled leaves. Their hybrids are outstanding in the garden and have magnificent flowers in striking colors. Two examples are:
- Margaret Herbst 12” inches, a large vermilion flower with leaves beautifully mottled;
- Oriental Beauty 10” inches, a brilliant novelty in flaming red, with heavily marbled foliage.
Tulips Species For Enchanting Pictures
Species of tulips are wonderful in garden nooks, at the edge of woodlands, at the base of evergreens, in groups on a border, and in rock gardens.
Enchanting pictures may be created by using the low-growing varieties with the taller ones or in combination with exquisite little blue scillas.
The candlestick tulip may be planted with grape hyacinths for a stunning effect, while Red Emperor may be used with early daffodils.
Chionodoxa, Pulmonaria, moss phlox, and other spring perennials usually bloom about the same time as the species tulips.
The small dainty species are especially good in rock gardens where the flowers can be seen to the best advantage. They may be left undisturbed for years and will multiply and add to their glory.
Tulip Bulbs Planting
Tulip bulbs are planted later than most spring-flowering bulbs. In the vicinity of New York, the traditional tulip planting time is election day. Of course, planting will be later farther south and earlier in the North.
The important thing is to plant the bulbs late enough so that there will be no top growth before winter. They want sunny locations with good drainage.
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A clustered planting shows many of the peacock tulip varieties. Displaying graceful lines, they provide bright patches of color when set in front of evergreens, along woodland paths, or tucked neatly in rock garden pockets. Among spring’s earliest forerunners, they herald summer’s coming.
T. dasystemon, somewhat smaller than kaufmanniana, prefers sun and flowers in late April. The yellow, white-tipped flower clusters sprinkled bouquet-like in the ground are delightful to see.
44659 by Veronica M. Quist