Tulipa Blue Parrot - Parrot Tulip

Tulipa 'Blue Parrot' is a historical variety of parrot tulip, originally involved creating varieties such as 'Caprice', 'James Last', 'Parrot Mystic', or 'Muriel'. It is part of a group of original tulips formerly called "Dragonnes", presenting bloated and frayed petals along the edge. Its thick-textured robe is a harmony of mauve and lavender tones, with bluish highlights, crossed by lighter or more magenta veins. The inside of the flower is a deeper violet-purple. Late flowering, in May.

Tulipa 'Blue Parrot', introduced in 1935, belongs to the Liliaceae family. Of horticultural origin, it is a seedling of the 'Bleu Aimable' cultivar (1916). It is currently classified in the group of 'Parrot Tulips', whose main characteristic is to present huge flowers with twisted, bloated, ruffled, irregularly fringed petals. 'Blue Parrot' was obtained by mutation (sudden appearance of new characteristics that are maintained in subsequent generations). It is of a good size (50cm (20in) on average) and its long-lasting flower reaches 12cm (5in) in width. Its colour hovers between mauve-pink, lilac and lavender, depending on the light, but shows beautiful bluish or purplish reflections. The more the flower develops, the more complex its colour becomes, while the darker inside of the corolla appears. Its unique shape brings an additional charm, which makes this tulip anything but monotonous, especially when its buds slowly open in a vase. In the sun, the large flowers open almost flat and reveal a black star-shaped heart from which the light-yellow pistil emerges. The foliage is ample, vigorous, and of a bright green.

These tulips are renowned for their wealth of colours, stunning and variegated flowers, and suitability both in flower beds and bouquets. In the 18th century, they were considered monstrous. This group developed a lot in the 1930s, when it was discovered that irradiating bulbs with X-rays caused this mutation. Endowed with a baroque charm, they are among the most unique varieties. They are unmatched for bringing the colours of spring to pots or sunny gardens. When designing your flower beds, you must consider the height and flowering period of the tulips, as these parameters can vary significantly from one cultivar to another. It is wise to plant a few extra bulbs for bouquets, as they make beautiful long-lasting cut flowers in a vase. 'Blue Parrot' pairs well with pastel tulips, in shades of pink ('Angelique'), white ('Maureen'), or mauve ('Shirley').