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Archive for the tulip tag

Tarda tulip

March 21, 2022   •   Leave a Comment

tulipa-tarda
Tulipa ‘Negrita’ (top), Tulipa tarda. (Photo: White Flower Farm)

As spring bulbs begin to emerge, gardeners often wish they had planted more bulbs last fall. Few “perennials” are this easy to plant, grow, and maintain. However, many bulbs do have shortcomings. Some are planted and immediately become squirrel food. Others bloom so late that gardeners have to wait a few extra weeks for the foliage to die back before annuals can be planted. And the largest concern is their failure to bloom for more than a few years in the garden. Tarda tulip may help you overcome some of these potential problems.

Every year, in late April to early May, each tarda tulip (Tulipa tarda) bulb produces 4 to 6, star-shaped flowers that are about 2 to 3 inches across. The yellow buds open almost flat, revealing bright yellow petals whose lower half is white. Unlike most of the showier hybrids of today, tarda tulip’s flower size and color lends itself to a more refined and subdued display.

Tarda tulip is one of several tulips that can be found in nature, especially if you happen to be walking around the rocky slopes of rural China. Therefore, it is referred to as a species tulip—it hasn’t been bred for bigger blooms or brighter colors. Like several other species tulips, tarda tulip is extremely hardy. Severe winters and hot summers rarely threaten its vigor. This is especially true if you can create well-drained soil that is amended with organic matter such as compost or shredded pine bark. Plant bulbs at a depth of 6 inches in full or partial sun for best results.

The other great feature of this species tulip is its ability to flower year after year after year. Many of the more popular tulip types such as parrots, doubles, single lates, etc., have exceptional flower colors and forms. These, however, rarely last for more than a few years in the garden, even with the best conditions. On the other hand, tarda tulip is a true perennial type and should last for many years with minimal or no effort.

Tarda tulip’s short, yellow and white flowers make excellent partners for slightly taller tulips. Try a rock garden tulip (Tulipa greigii) for a 10- to 12-inch background. Then use the durable blossoms of grape hyacinths as a contrasting blue, spike-shaped flower that grows to about the same six-inch height. Don’t forget spring-blooming perennial groundcovers such as creeping phlox or candytuft. These can be planted right over tarda tulip for a brilliant, double dose of color every spring.

As for the squirrels, I can offer some ideas. The most reliable deterrent is to plant your bulbs under a piece of chicken wire that is buried below the soil surface. It always is effective but can be a chore to install and is especially annoying when it gets in the way of other plantings. Repellents can also be applied to bulbs before planting. These eventually wash away, but usually succeed because bulbs are the most vulnerable for a few days after planting. The good news is that tarda tulip is one of the least expensive tulips available. So, an occasional loss to Mr. Squirrel isn’t as economically devastating as it would be with other, more costly bulbs. 

In the fall, tarda tulip can be found at many garden centers alongside other species tulips. Try these true perennials in your toughest areas and take advantage of their durability and beauty. It’s likely that these little gems will outlast your other bulbs and may even spread to fill nearby open spaces. Just remember to watch out for the squirrels.

Tarda tulip

Botanical name: Tulipa tarda (TOO-lip-uh TAR-duh)
Plant type: Bulb
Plant size: 6 inches tall
Hardiness: Zone 4
Flower color:  White tips & yellow centers
Flower size: 2-3 inches across, star-shaped
Bloom period: Late April to early May
Leaf color: Green
Leaf size: 5 inches long
Light: Full to part sun         
Soil: Well-drained soil, amended with organic matter
Uses: Perennial border, rock garden
Companion plants: Grape hyacinths, medium height tulips (10-14 inch), spring-blooming perennial groundcovers, such as creeping phlox or candytuft.
Remarks: Species tulip; very hardy; longer-lived than the more common, hybridized tulips.

George Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Township, MI.

Filed Under: Plant Focus Tagged With: bulb, garden, spring, Tarda tulip, tulip

Dutch consortium solves the first tulip genome

February 2, 2018   •   1 Comment

Three leading Dutch organizations have been collaborating with the aim of making tulip breeding and production faster and more sustainable. Using the latest technologies, it is now possible to identify the DNA sequence of the common garden tulip genome (Tulipa gesneriana), one of the biggest genomes ever sequenced. Its size is estimated to be nearly 11 times larger than that of humans.

The tulip genome reveals how the DNA determines the characteristics of a tulip. DNA patterns that are linked to desirable characteristics will soon be used in advanced breeding so that these characteristics can be combined to give new, improved varieties. With this knowledge, new tulip varieties that are resistant to common diseases can be developed faster and in a more targeted way. This will also reduce the use of plant protection products.

Hans van den Heuvel, Director Research & Development at Dümmen Orange, says: “The tulip genome makes the human genome look tiny: the entire human genome fits into one tulip chromosome. With the technology that was available at the turn of the century, this job would have taken over 100 years—an impossible task. But now we can do it in a matter of days. Data analysis is in full swing and there is no doubt that it will produce information that will transform tulip breeding, making it faster, more predictive, and above all ‘greener’ because we will focus on varieties that can be grown sustainably.”

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: breeding, bulb, dutch, tulip, tulip genome, Tulipa gesneriana

A treasure trove of rare wild tulip photos

October 1, 2014   •   Leave a Comment

girl-carrys-red-tulips-oct-14Tulip lovers have a new website to explore: www.tulipsinthewild.com features photographs of rare wild tulip species in their remote mountain native habitats. The site follows a group of Dutch bulb enthusiasts on a two-decade quest to some of the world’s most forbidding mountain ranges as they find and photograph little-known tulip species in the wild.

Despite their genteel garden image, tulips in the wild are native to harsh landscapes in hard-to-reach corners of the world. They’re often found clinging to barren mountain ledges exposed to wind, cold and drought. The contrast of harsh habitat and colorful tulips makes for some breathtaking photographs, most shot in mountain ranges in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

The site features an interactive map where users can click on a region to view the tulips that were photographed there. A selection of expedition shots is included plus tulip images with a description of each flower and where it was found. The only frustration for many will be the fact that most of the tulips displayed still exist only in the wild or in a few private collections. So for now, the best view of some of the rarest tulips on earth is just a click away, at www.tulipsinthewild.com.

Filed Under: Clippings Tagged With: dutch, nature, photos, tulip, tulips, wild

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