Tulipa hageri - Botanical Tulip

The Hageri Tulip or Hager's Tulip is a small botanical tulip that does not go unnoticed in spring. Its red copper flowers open in the sun to reveal a black throat mixed with olive green, surrounded by a yellow halo. At the end of April, it adds a magnificent touch of colour to any setting. Like many botanical species, this small tulip naturalises easily in the garden and faithfully blooms year after year. Plant it in full sun or partial shade, in a rock garden or raised bed to provide perfect drainage for its bulb.

The Hageri tulip is a small wild bulbous plant endemic to central Greece, the Peloponnese, and the Parnes Mountains. It is also found in Crete and in the vicinity of Izmir in Turkey, growing in woods and meadows. It is closely related to orphanidea tulips and whittallii tulips, with which it readily hybridizes. All these plants belong to the lily family. Mediterranean species are generally hardy. However, they dislike stagnant moisture, appreciate summer heat, and dry soil in summer, which allows the bulb to ripen while dormant at this time of year. The light greyish-green foliage of Hager's tulip often develops in January. It consists of 2 to 7 lanceolate leaves, pointed at their tips. The 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3in) flowers in diameter, slightly fragrant, appear between April and early May, earlier or later depending on the climate. Usually grouped in 2 to 5, they are carried 15 cm (6in) above the ground by slender but sturdy stems that bend gracefully in the wind. Oval and spindle-shaped, they open widely when fully bloomed, in star-shaped clusters of pointed petals. The flowers open in the sun and close when it is hidden. This tulip propagates through bulblets and eventually forms beautiful colonies. The foliage dries up and disappears with the arrival of heat.

Botanical tulips do not degenerate over time like large-flowered tulips. They naturalise and can remain in place for several years without special care. These plants thrive in borders and rock gardens, in very well-drained soil. To create colourful scenes, they can be associated with each other, as well as with various small bulb plants such as Crocus, Muscari, Cyclamen, Snowdrops, Squills, etc. These tulips are also beautiful additions to flowering pots.

In France, there are various wild species, many of which are endangered. In cultivation, they are called “botanical tulips”, and one of the most common is the wild tulip (Tulipa sylvestris), which used to often grow sheltered by vines. Its subspecies australis is known as the southern tulip.