Tulipa Madonna - Parrot Tulip

Tulipa 'Madonna' is a Parrot Group tulip, which is an extraordinary collection bearing swollen and jagged petals. This magnificent variety has inherited the superb colour of the Viridiflora tulip and the enormous extravagant flowers of the Parrot tulips. Its flowers are white flamed with green, often warmed by a creamy glow in the centre and at the base of the petals. The stem is quite short and sturdy. It looks wonderful in beds, pots, planters, and bouquets. Plant this queen of May with your first roses or with orange tulips, for example.

Tulipa 'Madonna' belongs to the Liliaceae family. It was introduced in 1960. Of horticultural origin, it is currently classified in the group of 'Parrot Tulips', whose main characteristic is to present enormous flowers with twisted, swollen, tousled, irregularly fringed petals. 'Madonna' was obtained by mutation (sudden appearance of new characteristics that are maintained in subsequent generations). It is medium-sized (50cm (20in)) and its flower is impressively large, exceeding 14cm (6in) in width. The petals are white, randomly flamed with green and tinted with very pale-yellow in their middle area. The unique shape of the parrot tulip adds an additional charm, making this tulip anything but boring, especially when its buds slowly open in a vase. In the sun, the large flowers open almost flat and reveal a star-shaped heart from which the light-yellow pistil emerges. The foliage is of a pretty bluish-green colour. Flowering takes place in May, at the end of the tulip season.

Parrot Group tulips are renowned for their rich colours, stunning and variegated flowers, and suitability 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. They are unmatched for bringing the colours of spring to pots or sunny gardens. This tulip beautifully decorates balconies and patios. 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 extra bulbs for cutting, as they make superb cut flowers that last a long time in a vase.