Tulipa Liliaceae Tulip
These are typical tulips with flowers that are up-facing bells or saucers, but are varied in shape, colors, and markings of the petals. They keep tightly closed after dark and on dark days but open wide in the sun. The foliage may be wide or grassy, clean green or mottled. Included here are only the smallest available species.
batalini—Twisted, narrow leaves and soft creamy-yellow flowers (in April).
biflora—Only two or three slim, tapered leaves around a four-inch flower stem bearing from one to three long, striped buds which open to flat, white, star-shaped flowers with golden centers. Often blooms in March. Variety turkestanica has wider leaves and up to ten flowers per stem.
dasystemon (tarda)—Polished blue-green leaves fan out flat under three-inch stems with bouquets (three to five) of yellow-centered white flowers. Some have pointed petals striped lengthwise with green on the outside. (Mid-April.)
eichleri—Typically broad leaves, stems six to eight inches, fiery-red flowers with gold and blue-black centers and gold stripes outside.
kaufmanniana—water-lily tulip—The leaves are very broad, short, and sharply pointed; the stems are sturdy and five inches long. The flowers are very large, creamy yellow marked with carmine (in April). There are many named varieties with flowers in shades and combinations of gold, scarlet, cream, and even salmon pink.
kolpakowskiana—Long, blue-green leaves waved on the edges, yellow flowers blotched with brick red on the outside (in April).
linifolia—Narrow, wavy leaves and six-inch stems topped with satiny scarlet flowers, marked with blue-black at the heart (in April).
patens (persica)—Slim, arching leaves, stems with one to three flowers, yellow, darker outside, fragrant (in May).