Tulipa whittallii - Botanical Tulip

Tulipa whittallii is a beautiful and delicate botanical tulip in coppery orange infused with blood orange, darker on the inside, and adorned with an olive green shadow at the base of its petals. An unusual and rare species, far removed from its Dutch cousins with their showy elegance and rigid habit. It proves easy to grow and long-lasting in the garden. It has perfect cup-shaped flowers in April-May, with lanceolate and tapering petals that let the light shine through, creating a flamboyant range of colours. This bulbous plant is a marvel when planted en masse in a lawn, a slightly wild bed, or in containers. It thrives in the sun, in well-drained, fertile soil.

Botanical Tulip whittallii belongs to the lily family. This "species" is a naturally occurring tetraploid clone* discovered near Izmir, in western Turkey. It is related to Tulipa orphanidea, and has quite variable appearances, with red, orange, or yellow-orange hues depending on the forms, climate, and soil it is grown in. This tulip will not exceed 30 cm (12in) high when in bloom. Its foliage is grey-green to blue, composed of 2 to 7 narrow, linear, pointed leaves. The 4 to 6 cm (2in) in diameter flowers are as elegant as the foliage and appear in April-May, earlier or later depending on the climate. Solitary or grouped in 2 or 3, they are borne by slender but sturdy stems that bend gracefully in the wind. They are oval and fused opening slightly at full bloom, forming a perfect calyx composed of pointed petals. The base of the petals and the heart of the flower are spotted with olive green, while the interior of the cup has an almost red hue, sometimes tinged with brown. The flowers bloom in the sun and close when it goes in. This tulip spreads through stolons and eventually forms beautiful colonies.

Botanical tulips do not degenerate over time like large-flowered tulips. They naturalise, can stay in place for several years without special care, and thrive in borders and rock gardens. To create colourful scenes, they can be planted with various small bulbs: Crocus, Muscari, Cyclamen coum, Snowdrops, Scillas... These tulips are unrivalled for bringing the colours of spring to pots or sunny gardens.

There are various wild species, many of which are endangered. In cultivation, these are called " botanical tulips", and one of the most common is the wild tulip (Tulipa sylvestris), which often used to grow sheltered by vineyards and whose subspecies australis is known as the southern tulip.

* Tetraploid: its basic chromosomal stock (2n) is multiplied by 2, so it is a "4n" plant.