Tulipa tarda - Botanical Tulip

Tulipa tarda is an easy-to-grow wild species, with an early flowering. It naturalises easily in sunny areas of the garden. It bears several flowers on each stem in small bright yellow stars, dotted with white. It is a small, radiant, and prolific plant, whose sunny flowering is eagerly awaited from early spring.

Tulipa tarda (synonym T. dasystemon) belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is native to Central Asia, particularly to a chain of high mountains called Tian Shan, or celestial mountains. It is found there on well-exposed rocky slopes. Unlike other wild tulips, this one tolerates soils that remain moist in summer, allowing it to be grown in all regions.

In winter, the small bulb of this tulip develops a rosette of narrow leaves, 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) long, shaped like a gutter. They boast a shiny dark green colour. In March-April, a flowering stem 12 to 15cm (5 to 6in) high emerges from the centre of the rosette. It bears 2 to 6 small flowers, 3 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, forming a fairly compact cluster. These flowers are composed of 6 thin oval-shaped petals with pointed ends, arranged in a star shape. Each petal is a very bright yellow with a perfectly white tip. These stars fully open in the sun and close in the evening or in poor weather. The deciduous foliage dries up and disappears some time after flowering. This tulip produces seeds that can self-sow, but it also proliferates through stolon development in good conditions. This allows it to spread as a ground cover where it likes.

Plant Tulipa tarda bulbs in mass plantings, in a well-drained bed, in a rock garden, or in a container. Plant it with other botanical tulips such as T. urumiensis and T. clusiana. It can also be combined with crocuses, botanical narcissus, muscari, or other early-flowering bulbs in a less mown and less frequented area of the garden. You can also place botanical tulips between perennials and deciduous bushes, or at the edge of a path. Plant the bulbs close to the house to enjoy the flowers every time you pass by. They can also be grown in containers or pots. Over time, the bulbs will create fantastic displays.