Just as the rose is the queen of flowers, the tulips are the undisputed kings of spring. The huge variety and abundance of tulip varieties clearly proves that it is one of the most popular flowers in the world.The varieties of tulipsare so numerous that for ease of use, they have been divided into as many as 15 groups. The average person, however, finds it difficult to understand. Meet the most interestingvarieties of tulipsand their possible applications.
One of the most popular tulips in the world and the flagship tulip of its Triumph group 'Strong Gold', durable and resistant to diseases and pests, with a beautiful, pure yellow color, both outside and and inside the cup
How did the varieties of tulips arise
The varieties of tulipsgrown in Europe and their later hybrids probably derive from the tulips brought from Turkey to Europe in the 16th century. The tulip has long been an extremely valued ornamental plant, and its he celebrated his moments of glory in Europe at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, when bulbs of some varieties were paid for huge sums (e.g. the equivalent of houses or estates). Coincidence and ignorance caused the highest prices to be achieved by sick tulips. Specifically infected with tulip mottle virus, which causes the original streaked discoloration of the petals. However, as a result of this disease, the plants weakened and died over time. Therefore, the short-lived but dizzying price boom for tulips had to end quickly. However, the tulips themselves have not lost their popularity, but their prices have dropped significantly, and the plants have become available to a larger group of their lovers.
The European cradle of mosttulip varietiesis the Netherlands.It is the Dutch breeders who have specialized in creating, cultivating and introducing them to the world markets. In individual years, the fashion for specific colors and varieties of flowers has changed, depending on global trends. Not only the classic and simple in form single tulips are in the center of interest for lovers of these flowers, although undoubtedly these are the best cut flowers. The lilac-shaped tulips also gained popularity due to their pure and intense colors and the original and elegant flower shape, as well as the classic Triumph variety with stiff stems that delight with a multitude of color varieties.
On this occasion, it is impossible to ignore the incredibly spectacular flowers of parrot varieties, with full flowers and large, folded, often multi-colored petals. There are also interesting varieties from the group of friezes, with heavily ragged edges.
In fact, most of the tulips grown today are hybrids ofold tulip varieties , resulting from various crosses.Breeding a new variety is a tedious, long-term selection process, and the goal is to obtain plants with the most interesting colors and shapes of flowers and resistant to diseases and pests. Every year in individual groups there are several novelties, but not all of them deserve the same interest.
Another representative of the Triumph group - 'Cheers' variety, with a delicate, creamy-white color of petals
Tulips - varieties from the Triumph group
Undoubtedly, thegroup of Triumphtulip varieties comes to the fore in the popularity ranking, the flowers are tall, large and, above all, they delight with the multitude of colors. The more interesting varieties include: 'Flaming Kiss' (with beautiful, multi-colored petals in shades of dark pink, red and creamy white), 'Debutante' (cherry-red petals, white edging), 'Kees Nelis' (classic red petals with a wide, yellow edge), 'Strong Gold' (yellow, classic tulip, resistant to diseases and pests, one of the most popular tulips in Poland), 'Gavota' (a beautiful burgundy tulip with a wide, yellow border of petals), 'New Design' (pale pink petals, turning into dark pink at the top, the inside of the calyx is dark pink, the leaves are green with a white border), 'Helmar' (wonderful, mottled, yellow-red variety) 'Arabian Mystery' (purple petals with a white border and a light cup bottom inside the flower) or ' Princess Irene '(orange petals, tinted darker gray-violet from below).
Lilac tulips owe their name and success to the beautiful, slender shape of the flower, whose petals have pointed ends. In the photo 'West Point' - an elegant, pure yellow variety, both inside and outside the cup
Tulips - lily-shaped varieties
The next group owes its popularity to the interesting shape of the petals, which are slender and pointed at the top. The more interestingvarieties of lily-shaped tulips , because this is what we are talking about, include: 'Pretty Woman' (classic, slender beauty in red), 'Marilyn' (white, pointed petals adorn red-pink streaks, from this variety, for example, 'White Wings'), 'Aladdin' (red petals adorn a yellow border, the variety gave rise to several other hybrids), 'Maytime' (a beautiful lilac-purple flower with a white border and yellow flower bottom inside the calyx), 'Queen of Sheba' (beautiful slender flower shape, petals red in color with a very delicate yellow border), 'Sapporo' (slender flower shape with snow-white petals), 'West Point' (pure yellow, sunny flowers, very slender shape), 'Yellow Spider' (unusual, very original full flower, intensely yellow in color) and 'Claudia' (extremely interesting color of the flower: petals from the outside, deep red, topped with a white border, inside white-maroon with yellow flower bottom).
An interesting group are jagged (curled) tulips. The photo shows the 'Fancy Frills' variety - an extremely beautiful flower in several shades of pink and white, decorated with cream streaks
Tulips - jagged varieties
For our gardens we also like to reach for tulips with petals with jagged and sometimes lace edges.Jagged tulips , also called Crispi, look beautiful in flower beds. Interesting varieties include: 'Fancy Frills' (an unusually beautiful flower in several shades of pink and white, decorated with cream streaks), 'Canasta' (red petals with white shredding at the border), 'Hamilton' (classic yellow tulip with yellow anthers inside calyx), 'Burgundy Lace' (delicately ruffled edges of petals, yellow flower bottom, petals in a beautiful red color), 'Estafette' (extremely elegant, snow-white variety), 'Davenport' (contrasting colors of petals - vivid red with intensely yellow, frayed rim), 'Lambada' (intensely orange-red petals, topped with a strong yellow jagged edge) and 'Swan Wings' (snow-white flower with highly jagged petals, yellow pistil and anthers inside the calyx).
Tulips - varieties from the group Darwin hybrids
Darwin hybridsis a fairly younggroup of tulip varieties , formed from Darwin and Fosterian tulips. Their attractiveness for our gardens is evidenced by their high resistance to diseases and large flowers, usually of a uniform color. Among the more interesting varieties we can mention: 'Apeldoorn' (classic red petals with darker edges), 'Apeldoorn Elite' (dark pink petals with a wide, yellow border), 'Golden Apeldoorn' (classic yellow petals with a black calyx bottom and anthers), ' Oxford '(classic red petals with yellow flower bottom and black stamens),' Banja Luka '(intense yellow petals with lots of red streaks).
Tulips - single late varieties
Tulip varieties from the single late groupalso have many beautiful varieties such as: 'Color Spectacle' (yellow, with wide streaks of red, according to the name extremely spectacular flowering), 'World Expression '(a wonderful variety with creamy-white petals, adorned at the bottom with expressive streaks of red, a large flower and probably one of the most beautiful in this group),' Sorbet '(a wonderful white-cream flower with delicate carmine-colored streaks),' Queen of Night '(very dark, almost black petals).
The most spectacular group of tulips, the parrot varieties, deserve the name borrowed from these colorful and beautiful birds. The photo shows the 'Rococo' variety with red, heavily crimped petals with green accents on the edges
Tulips - varieties of parrots
And we come to the most wonderful garden tulips, that is the groupvarieties of parrot tulips , which deservedly bear their name. Their fantastic shapes and colors are breathtaking and resemble the wonderful, colorful birds from which the group borrowed its name. I will give you some interesting varieties, but actually all the flowers of this group are really wonderful.
Among thevarieties of parrot tulipsit is worth mentioning: 'Estella Rijnveld' (red and white, variegated, with trimmed edges of petals), 'Weber's Parrot' (white with pink streaks), 'Rococo' (red, crimped petals with green accents at the edges), 'Flaming Parrot' (yellow, crimped with red streaks), 'Black Parrot' (dark burgundy, strongly jagged at the edges), 'Apricot Parrot' (an amazing colorful spectacle of undulating yellow-red-orange petals) 'Orange Favorite' (orange, shaded petals with strongly wavy and jagged edges) 'Irene Parrot' (derived from 'Princess Irene' , orange with a fantastically jagged edge), 'Blumex' (wavy petals captivate with an unusual riot of orange-pink-red-yellow colors, large and fleshy flowers), 'Air' (petals with an interesting, lilac color, interspersed with green streaks) ' Top Parrot '(red, highly jagged petals),' Rai '(extremely beautiful flower, jagged, dark purple petals, with many accents of green and yellow) or' Super Parrot '(white, jagged petals with strong green accents).
In the photo, another representative of the group of parrots, a magnificent white variety 'Madonna', with delicate touches of green on the outside of the petals
Tulips - full varieties
The varieties full of tulips are also fantastic , often reminiscent of peony flowers, often multicolored. They look great at discounts, but taller varieties can also be a decoration in a vase. Full early ones bloom already in mid-April, while late ones even in the second half of May. Withfull earlybeautiful varieties are: 'Monte Carlo' (gorgeous, pure yellow and not tall), 'Peach Blossom' (pink petals with yellow interior), 'Orange Princes' (fiery orange petals shaded from the bottom with darker streaks). Zfull late : 'Angelique' (pinkish white petals, almost ethereal, flower filled with lots of petals), 'Carnaval de Nice' (extremely beautiful pure white flower with pronounced red streaks) , 'Ice Cream' (very unusual flower shape, outer petals dark pink in color, inner petals are snow-white and piled at the top like scoops of fluffy ice cream), 'Wirosa' (red petals turning into pure white at the top, very low), 'Casablanca '(elegant, creamy white petals with yellow streaks),' Lilac Perfection '(purple-lilac flowers with darker streaks),' Horizon '(petals half white and half dark red).
Full tulips, sometimes called peonies, often resemble peony flowers in their shape and form. The photo shows an early variety &39;Double Price&39;, in a wonderful, classically peony pink color, with a yellow flower bottom and black anthers
Tulips - varieties from the Viridiflora group
It is also worth mentioning a young but very interesting groupViridiflora tulip varieties , in which there are plants with an interesting color of flowers. A characteristic feature of the group is the presence of a green belt on the petals. Here, for example, 'Spring Green' (white with a green stripe), 'Groenland' (pink with a wide green stripe on the petals), 'Esperanto' (pink-red, with a green-yellow stripe), green leaves adorned with a white edge and white streaks) or the extraordinary 'Golden Artist' (a wonderful combination of intense yellow petals with the green of the middle belt).
Tulips - varieties from Rembrandt's group
Unfortunately, virus-infected flowers, known asRembrandt tulips , still have supporters. It is hardly surprising, because the virus causes discoloration on the petals so original and interesting that they are difficult to resist. However, there are not many varieties of this type available on the market, although today we can already find ones that are free of the virus, e.g. 'Cordell Hull' (white with red streaks).
Tulips - varieties with a Polish accent
Speaking ofinteresting varieties of tulips , it is impossible to ignore those named after famous people, including Poles, we can find here e.g. 'Lech Wałęsa' ( red, national colors of the flower), 'Maria Kaczyńska' (delicate, cream-white color of the petals), 'Irena Sendler' (red flower, with a light cup bottom), 'Hillary Clinton' (pink petals with a white finial) or 'Chopin's Prelude '(pink petals with a pale pink border).The creator of the mentioned dedicated varieties and the popular 'Strong Gold' is the leading Dutch breeder and botanist Jan Lighart.
Katarzyna Józefowicz
