Tulipa clusiana Annika - Lady tulip

The Tulip 'Annika' is a horticultural variety of Tulipa clusiana or the Persian Tulip, a botanical species widespread in southern Europe and the Orient. while being very hardy, this tulip flowers very well in warm climates and has retained the elegance of its wild relative. From March onwards, it produces beautiful salmon pink blooms that gradually evolve into an almost red fuchsia pink. This attractive bulbous plant naturalises readily in the garden, offering a beautiful spectacle early in the season.

The Tulip belongs to the Liliaceae family, once rich with around a hundred genera, but which following an evolution in systematics now only includes about a dozen. Lilies are well-known representatives, while others deserve to be more widely known, such as the superb Fritillaries. There are at least 120 species of Tulips worldwide, with their origin in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan). While the Tulipa gesneriana, or the Garden Tulip, is the most cultivated, other botanical species prove to be very ornamental. This is the case with the Tulipa clusiana which is found both wild and cultivated in central and southern Europe. Rare and protected, this very ancient species produces star-shaped, slender flowers borne on stems 25 to 30 cm high. The very graceful corollas are carmine red edged with white on the outside, and white on the inside with a violet heart. Truly aesthetic as it is, this wild species has given rise to several cultivars that have retained its natural grace while offering new colours. 
The Tulip 'Annika' is thus a recent variety registered on the market in 2017 by the Dutch nursery W. van Lierop & Zn. B.V. More compact than the typical species, this variety forms flower stems about 20 cm tall above which flowers approximately 5 to 6 cm tall bloom. They form a beautiful harmony with the slightly bluish green foliage and open in shades of salmon pink. The centre of the corolla is marked with dark purple which enhances the beauty of the flower. Each bulb is capable of producing three flowers or more, which gradually turn to a fuchsia pink, sometimes tending towards red. Between March and April, the spectacle is both superb and changing, bringing a beautiful dynamism to the garden. Well adapted to warm climates, this Tulip does not require a great deal of winter cold to flower well. Its foliage formed of narrow, linear leaves appears in late winter and disappears again in late spring, after the flowering period, and before the intense heat. This ancestral cycle enables this variety to be integrated into a natural garden, especially as it will naturalise over time, forming large floral patches reminiscent of its natural settings.

The Tulipa clusiana 'Annika' will thrive in a border or rockery where its natural appearance will be fully at home. Its romantic charm and distinction will allow it to be combined with other bulbs like the Snowdrop S. Arnott which you can place in partial shade at the edge of trees, while your Tulip catches the sun further forward. Versatile and very cold-resistant, you can grow it in a pot and it will be just as happy in a Mediterranean garden with long, hot, dry summers. You can then integrate it into a dry garden alongside other sun-loving plants like Thyme, with its aromatic foliage available in different colours depending on the variety. A Pink Rockrose (Cistus skanbergii) will take over the flowering until June, and a few clumps of White Asphodel will reinforce the natural touch of your display with their tall spikes of white flowers in late spring and summer.