Tulipa Red Shine - Lily flowering Tulip

Tulipa 'Red Shine' is a fairly old lily-flowered tulip, as brilliant as it is elegant, twice awarded in England. Its flowers are a deep red, enhanced by their shiny texture and the gracefully curved shape of their petals. Very long-lasting in a vase, carried by a thin but sturdy stem, it is the queen of cut flowers. It is urgent to rediscover these beautiful lily-flowered tulips. They bloom late, but faithfully return year after year. It is urgent to rediscover these beautiful lily-flowered tulips that our grandmothers revered. Curiously, they have become rare in our gardens.

Lily-flowered tulips were created in the early 20th century, retaining the robustness and simplicity of their ancestor, the magnificent Tulipa acuminata. This botanical species originating from Turkey became extinct in the wild, but survived, in its red and yellow form, among English and Dutch enthusiasts. On the frescoes and ceramics of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, all kinds of acuminate tulips can be found, already adored by the sultans at the time. The flower, depending on whether it is open or closed, undergoes a surprising metamorphosis, going from star to lily flower in the space of a day. 

'Red Shine', introduced in the Netherlands in 1955,  belongs, like all tulips, to the lily family. It  is part of historical tulips, grown at the Hortus Bulborum Conservatory in the north of the Netherlands. It is classified in division 6 of horticultural tulips, the main characteristics of this category are as follows: they have single flowers and bloom in the second half of spring, the cups are narrow and curved, the pointed tepals are recurved when open and open into an 8 cm (3in) wide star. During the day, these flowers become spider-like and widely open. This 'Red Shine' variety will reach approximately 45 cm (18in) in height when in bloom. Flowering takes place at the end of April or beginning of May. The foliage is thinner than that of other tulips. Each solitary flower is supported by a seemingly delicate stem, but resistant to bad weather.

As the sun rises in the garden, the lily flower of 'Red Shine' shines with an incomparable ruby brilliance. It finds its place in large beds, planted in small groups with white varieties (Tulip 'Sapporo'), pink (Tulip 'Sanne'), two-tone (Tulip 'Marylin'), even green (Tulip 'Virichic'). As its flowering is late, it allows for the maximum duration of flowering in the beds. Pair it with wood hyacinths (Scilla nutans) or Siberian squills to create a colourful scene. Or with lady's mantle, Corsican hellebores and euphorbias, you will also obtain surprising scenes. It can also be planted in pots and planters to embellish balconies and terraces. It is ideal for creating bouquets full of creative audacity.

In a vase, use very little water, just covering the bottom is enough! Additionally, if your tulips open too quickly, you can add two to three ice cubes to the vase every day. Many varieties of lily-flowered tulips are grown for forcing and produce cut flowers for much of the year.