High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

Species tulips are by no means new to gardeners; they have been grown for over 400 years. Often overlooked because of their modern hybrid offspring, species tulips are reliable perennials, coming back year after year, and they spread by seed or by underground stolons. Most are smaller than hybridized tulips, have two-toned flowers, come in a wide variety of colors, and can have multiple blooms. The following are great choices for Northern Arizona.
Tulipa tarda from central Asia is one of my favorites because of its star-shaped white-tipped yellow flowers that bloom for almost a month. Like most species tulips, it is small, usually no more than 5 inches high. This plant is easy to grow and will spread by stolons.

First introduced into cultivation in 1884 from Central Asia, T. linifolia or narrow-leaf tulip has brilliant red blooms with jet-black centers. Narrow blue-green leaves have crinkly edges. This species is a good choice for rock gardens.

T. batalinii from Asia Minor is one of the best dwarf tulip species. It bears fragrant cup-shaped flowers in various colors on 4-to 6 inch stems in early spring. This is a great species to plant in rock gardens. There are many named varieties including 'Apricot Jewel' (apricot-orange with a golden interior), 'Red Gem' (vermillion red), and ‘Bright Gem’ (orange-yellow).

T. humilis is a tiny plant growing less than 4 inches tall. It is best known for the variety ‘Persian Pearl’ that bears showy magenta flowers. Native to Asia Minor, it is sometimes called the crocus tulip due to its small stature, pointed flower petals, and early bloom time, just like a crocus. It's another good variety for rock gardens.

A common wildflower of Crete, Tulipa bakeri has yellow and mauve blooms. The popular ‘Lilac Wonder’ is showier than the wild form and bears open rose-lilac petals with a contrasting yellow center and anthers. This tulip has 6-8 inch stems and slender blue-green leaves.

Tulipa kaufmanniana is a great choice for many Flagstaff gardeners as its ground-hugging nature and sturdy foliage gives it much needed wind resistance. Many catalogs describe this tulip as “waterlily-like” due to its relaxed petals. It comes in a multitude of striking colors and will dependably re-appear year after year. You can find the variety ‘Heart’s Delight’ locally.
Originally from the ‘stans, that is Turkestan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, T. greigii is one of the largest-flowering tulips and comes in pink, yellow, orange, red, buff, cream, and apricot. ‘Red Riding Hood’ (crimson red with striped foliage), ‘Chopin’ (lemon-yellow with tints of crimson), and ‘Pinocchio’ (red and white stripes) are a few of the varieties that are readily available in local nurseries. Greig tulips are hardy, easy to naturalize, drought tolerant, and great for rock gardens and the front of the border.

Now is the time to buy and plant species tulips. Species tulips require full sun and well-drained soil. As many species tulips originated in areas with wet winters and dry summers climates they do best where they receive infrequent summer water. All the species tulips listed above are hardy to at least USDA hardiness zone 5.

Local nurseries carry several species tulips but the greatest selection is through mail-order bulb specialists. Some of my favorite companies are: McClure & Zimmerman -phone: (414) 326-4220 or website: www.mzbulb.com/; Van Engelen - (860) 567-8734 or www.vanengelen.com/; and Brent and Becky’s Bulbs - (877) 661-2852 or www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/.

By Hattie Braun
The author is the Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Coconino Cooperative Extension. If you have a gardening question, call the Master Gardener hotline at (928)774-1868 ext. 19. To learn about local gardening events, visit the Master Gardener blog at highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.