If you are a gardener who still thinks of tulips only in terms of the usual May-flowering types—the cottage, Darwin, and breeder varieties that get the big color displays in the catalogs—you will be well rewarded if you take a little trouble to get better acquainted with some of the lesser known sorts.
And what’s more, you can easily double the length of the tulip season in your garden and begin enjoying them even before your daffodils bloom!
Tulip Species And Hybrids
Early Tulips
The earliest of all is Tulipa kaufmanniana, the water-lily tulip, with its variants and hybrids. It leads off the tulip parade in late March or early April.
Tulipa Kaufmanniana is very short-stemmed, and when fully open, the white, yellow-centered flowers closely resemble water-lilies.
CESAR FRANCK, THE FIRST, and GAIETY are cream to white with splashes of rose-red on the exterior.
One of the most popular tulips today is the giant-flowered RED EMPEROR, a variety of 7’ feet, Fosteriana. A bit later is the equally brilliant Fosteriana variety, PRINCEPS, and scarlet.
Most brilliant of the species are the orange-scarlet Tulipa praestans variety FUSILIER, multiple-flowered, and Tulipa Eichleri, crimson with contrasting black and gold base.
One of the best-known species is the candlestick tulip, Tulipa clusiana, with dainty pointed cherry-striped white flowers.
The most fascinating is Tulipa acuminata, with very long narrow twisted petals, yellow with orange-red streaks.
Single Earlies
Following these extra-early tulips are the single earlies, a group much neglected in most gardens.
They are not as tall and, on average, not quite so large as the late varieties but are still just as desirable.
They remain in bloom for a longer time, and many of them are delightfully fragrant.
The best-known earlies are the rather flamboyant KEIZERSKROON, scarlet-edged yellow.
But if you dislike this old-timer, do not be prejudiced against the whole class, for there are lovely soft shades of pink, rose and yellow, and orange to terra-cotta tones not equal in any of the late tulips.
Among our favorites are GENERAL DE WET, FRED MOORE, PRINCE OF AUSTRIA, and RISING SUN, all fragrant and all in the orange color range.
There are also earlies with double flowers; they are long-lasting in the garden and also when cut. TEA ROSE, PRIMROSE YELLOW, and ORANGE NASSAU are old favorites. Pink, red and white varieties are also available.
Triumph And Mendel Groups
After the earlies come the recently developed triumph and Mendel groups, which include such new varieties as:
- SPRING SONG, orange-red
- ORANGE WONDER
- URSA MINOR, yellow
- SCARLET ADMIRAL.
Winding up the parade are the big three—the cottage, Darwin, and breeder groups— which flower from late April to late May (earlier, of course, in the Southern states) according to season and variety.
Here are a few of our favorites:
COTTAGE
- Rosy WINGS, salmon-pink, two-toned, very early
- ROSATELLA
- Two red varieties, ADVANCE, the earlier blooming, and G. W. LEAKE
- The white CARRARA and WHITE CITY
- The yellow and orange varieties, MONGOLIA, YELLOW EMPEROR and ORANGE KING
DARWIN
- Pink: CLARA Burr, THE PEACH
- Red: CHARLES NEEDHAM, J. K. LILLY
- White: ANNIE SPEELMAN, GLACIER
- Yellow: NIPHETOS, GOLDEN AGE
- Mauve and purple: QUEEN OF NIGHT, INVINCIBLE and FAUST
BREEDER
- Red: PAPAGO (new)
- DILLENBURG
- Violet: BACCHUS. Louis XIV
- Yellow: DIXIE SUNSHINE, KATHRYN TRUXON
- Bronze: ADMIRAL TROMP, INDIAN CHIEF, Dom PEDRO
May-Flowering Tulips
In the late-flowering group, too, are the so-called peony-flowered tulips, more accurately called the May-flowering tulips.
Among these are:
- CLARA CARDER, rose-pink
- EROS, lilac
- SYMPHONIA. red
- MOUNT TACOMA, a giant white
Lily-Flowered Cottage Varieties
And anyone interested in arrangements should, by all means, grow some of the lily-flowered cottage varieties with long, pointed, somewhat reflexed petals.
In this group are:
- CAPTAIN FRYATT, wine-red
- MRS. MOON, yellow
- CHINA PINK
- WHITE CROWN
- ASTOR, a charming lilac, and yellow
Most dramatic are the fantastic parrots, with their huge, curled, and fringed petals splashed with contrasting colors.
Of these, the variety, FANTASY, pink, was the first. Now varieties are available in blue, violet, red, rose, orange, and near-black.
We particularly like SUNSHINE, yellow, and ORANGE FAVORITE, less grotesque in form but with lancinated petals and fragrance.
They hold themselves more upright than the others and make a good display in the garden and when cut.