Tulips can not only be red or yellow. Modern breeders have created a huge number of hybrids, which are striking in their diversity. The varieties of tulips are very diverse, and if you pick them correctly, then the plants will bloom in a flowerbed almost continuously throughout the spring.
A detailed description of popular varieties of tulips can be found in our article, and photos and videos will help determine the choice of varieties for growing at home.
Varieties of tulips with photos and descriptions
Traditionally it is believed that tulips were bred in Holland. We will not understand the origin of this spring flower, but we will dwell on the classification.
All cultures are divided into groups according to flowering period and origin. Thus, early, middle and late flowering cultures are isolated, as well as a separate group of hybrids bred by breeders from wild plants. The varieties of tulips with photos and descriptions will be described in detail below.
Early flowering
By planting the plants of this group, you can enjoy flowers at the end of April. Buds bloom together, and a wide variety of hybrids allows you to choose a variety of culture of shades.
Early flowering hybrids are simple and terry. They should be considered in more detail. From the video you will learn what varieties of garden crops are.
Beauty just hovers over Keukenhof. Even the crowds of tourists with their polyphony and bustle can not destroy the wonderful atmosphere.
A new landscape opens on every meter of the way. And then he is with swans swimming along the pond, then with an unusual range of flowers, which live very well in one flowerbed, and then with a working mill on the edge of tulip fields, unobtrusively reminding: "Look, we are in Holland."
For an overview of the park program for spring 2012, take a look at its website.
Opening hours of Keukenhof Park: 8.30-19.30 (ticket office is open until 18.00). Ticket price: adults - 14.50 euros, children 0-3 years old - free of charge, children 4-11 years old - 7 euros. Directions: Direct bus routes from Amsterdam, Schiphol (aut. 58), Leiden and The Hague.
Parking for personal vehicles and bicycles are paid (6 euros per place).
Classification and varieties of garden tulips
According to the modern classification, tens of thousands of tulip varieties are divided into 15 classes according to flowering time, flower shape and color. Each class has its own distinctive properties and growing conditions.
Tulips have about 10 thousand varieties. The first attempts to classify them were made in 1913. in Holland. The criteria for selection and division into groups changed over time. The modern classification system was basically completed only by 1929.
The Royal Society of Gardeners of Great Britain in London and the Joint Committee of the Royal Society of Dutch Breeders on bulbous crops in Harlem published an international register of tulip names.
New varieties of modern breeding are constantly being added to this register, and now there are more than 2500 varieties there.
According to the modern classification, tulips are divided into 15 classes, which are included in 4 groups. The place of the variety in the class table is influenced by various factors: the period of flowering, the origin, shape and color of the flower, the height of the peduncle.
Tulips of the 1st group - early flowering, 2nd group - medium-flowering and 3rd group - late-flowering tulips. The 4th group includes wild species and varieties that have evolved from them.
Now there is also a new group, sometimes it is considered the 16th class - terry-fringed tulips.
I group - early
1 class - Simple early tulips they are distinguished by low, strong peduncles (25-40 cm), which are not afraid of rain and wind. Blossom early in April.
The flowers are yellow and red, goblet-shaped or cupped, in sunny weather, widely disclosed. Early tulips are used for forcing, grown in containers, planted in borders.
Popular varieties are hardy and winter-hardy.
Grade 2 - Terry early tulips differ in small height, usually 20-30cm. Flowers terry, bloom for a long time, in sunny weather, widely open, in a fully open state can reach a diameter of 8 cm. These tulips are used for forcing in pots in the winter and planting in curbs.
Group II - medium flowering
Grade 3 - Triumph tulips very popular in the gardens, they multiply well. They are characterized by large goblet-shaped flowers, which retain their shape well on warm days.
Tulips of this class have rather high peduncles (40-70 cm). The color of flowers in tulips of this class is the most diverse: from pure white to dark purple. The flowering time is the end of April - the beginning of May.
Triumph tulips are used in flower beds and for cutting.
4th grade - Darwin hybrids were separated into a separate class not so long ago, in I960 g. Tulips of this class differ in very large sizes: they reach a height of 60-80 cm, and the diameter of flowers of some varieties can exceed 10 cm.
Usually they are red, there are two-colored, red-yellow color. Darwin hybrids bloom in early May. In cool weather, the flowers are goblet, in the heat fully disclosed.
They are appreciated for being well tolerated by spring frosts and long preserved in the cut.
Group III - late flowering
Grade 5 - Simple late tulips quite tall (60-75 cm), multiply well. They have a goblet-shaped flowers with a square base and wide blunt-pointed petals.
Coloring can be very different, one-color or two-color. Bloom in usually in the middle of May.
Used for all types of flower gardens, well suited for beds of continuous flowering when planting together with earlier varieties.
6th grade - Lily tulips its shape resembles a lily flower - they have petals pointed at the ends. Coloring can be any: white, yellow, pink, crimson, red, bicolor.
Liliavet tulips reach 50-60 cm in height, have flexible durable peduncles. The flowers open wide, the inner part is different in color - usually it is more saturated colors.
Blossom in the second half of May, used for flower beds and cut.
7th grade - Fringed tulips allocated in a separate class in 1981 according to one feature: their distinctive feature is needle-like fringe along the edges of the petals, resembling hoarfrost.
The height of fringed tulips can vary from 50 to 80 cm, the color of flowers varies from white to purple.
Duration of flowering, flower size may be different depending on what classes of tulips were used in the breeding of a variety of fringed tulip.
8th grade - Green tulips they are not often found in our gardens, they were allocated in a separate class in 1981. Based on the presence of green color in the middle of the petals.
The color contrast of the green middle and the white, yellow, pink edges of the petals looks very impressive. The height of this class of tulips can be different, the flowering time is mid-May.
Grown for cutting and decoration of flower beds.
Grade 9 - Rembrandt Tulips. This class brings together all the unusual and variegated tulips.
Strokes, stripes and spots on the petals, various combinations of red, white and yellow - these are the distinctive properties of this class. The height of these tulips is from 40 to 70 cm. Rembrandt tulips bloom from mid-May.
More often grown for cutting, can be used for flower beds, well combined with other varieties of tulips in the composition.
Grade 10 - Parrot tulips. This class combines tulips, which have the most unusual and exotic look: the color is bright, variegated, petals are wavy, bent, with rugged edges. The flowers can be wide open and goblet, large.
Plant height can be, depending on the variety, from 40 to 65 cm. Blooming tulips bloom late in the second half of May.
They are used mainly for decoration of gardens and parks, they are placed so as to admire them closely and to appreciate the unusual appearance.
Grade 11 - Terry late tulips differ in large size of the whole plant and late flowering. The color of tulips of this class varies from pure white to black, maybe two-color. Terry late tulips are used in flower beds, planted in places well protected from the wind, so that it does not damage the heavy flowers.
Group IV - types of tulips and their hybrids
Grade 12 - tulips kaufman. Plants of this class are distinguished by the earliest flowering periods (sometimes already at the beginning of April) and a small height (15-25 cm).
The flowers of Kaufman tulips are rather large, elongated, and in a fully open state - stellate. Coloring can be the most various: red, yellow, pink, more often happens two-color.
Kaufman tulips are used, mainly for growing on alpine hills, for planting in curbs and under trees.
Grade 13 - Foster tulips, they have larger flowers, compared with Kaufman tulips, bloom a little later.
The flowers are usually goblet or cup-shaped, strongly elongated, can reach a height of up to 15 cm. The color is predominantly red, sometimes pink or yellow. Plant height - from 30 to 50 cm.
Use them for flower beds, often planted with pansies, spring phlox.
Grade 14 - graig tulips. They are short growing, have large flowers with a wide base and tips of petals slightly bent outwards. Have speckled leaves. The color of the flowers is predominantly red tones, orange or two-tone. They bloom in late April - early May, their flowers do not fade for a long time. Used for growing in rockeries, in the borders.
Grade 15 - wild species of tulips, their varieties and hybrids. This class combines all the wild types of tulips. They are very diverse, differ in terms of flowering, color and shape of a flower.
Terms of flowering tulips may vary depending on the climatic conditions of cultivation. As a rule, it lasts 3-4 weeks in almost all varieties.
Tulip cultivar ‘Orange Queen’
Luxurious variety, created by VanBent in 1985, 50 cm tall plant, sturdy spike, green leaves. The flower is goblet-shaped, up to 9 cm high, yellow, along the edge of the petals at the beginning of flowering there is a thin orange-red band, which at the end of flowering expands to the entire petal. It blooms from the 2nd decade of April for 10 days. It is resistant to adverse weather conditions, may be affected by Fusarium and variegation virus. Good in flower beds, where in the spring it creates bright, fiery spots, suitable for cutting and forcing in the winter-spring period of time (February-March).Tulip variety ‘Cancun’
"Incendiary" as the dance of the same name is a very beautiful variety. The stem is strong, up to 60 cm high. The flower is goblet, large, up to 9 cm high, yellow with a gradual transition to red. Resistant to wind and weather problems. It blooms from the 2nd decade of May. Good in mixborders, borders, well worth cutting in spring bouquets.Tulip cultivar ‘Madame Curie’
This variety was created by the well-known breeder Lefeber in 1944. He is of medium height, 50 cm high, and the stem is strong. Flower goblet with pointed petals, up to 8 cm, dark crimson. Dissolves from the 2nd decade of April, flowering up to 10 days. Resistant to diseases and adverse weather conditions.Tulip grade ‘Grandma's Tales’
Photo by A. Papkov Domestic variety bred in the Crimea by L.M. Alexandrova. The plant is 50 cm tall, the stem is strong, the leaves are green. Flower goblet, up to 9 cm, indescribable words coloring "faded grandmother's sundress." It blooms from the 2nd-3rd decade of April, the duration of flowering up to 2 weeks. It tolerates high soil temperatures and dry winds during the flowering period of plants, but in particularly hot years, the duration of flowering may be reduced by 2-4 days. Resistant to diseases and pests and adverse weather conditions. It is self-sufficient in spring compositions, good in layout with varieties of tulips and in combination with other spring flowering bulbs. Suitable for cutting.Tulip cultivar ‘Orlenda’
This variety is a novelty of the Dutch selection. They predict a good future for him, because considered one of the most promising varieties. Peduncle durable, 60 cm tall. The flower is bright crimson with a white contrasting narrow border on the edge of the petals. Good for forcing from February to March, and well worth cutting.Tulip variety ‘Staning Apricot’
Photo A. Papkova A popular variety with a strong peduncle, 40 cm high. The flower is apricot-pink, pink in the center, and apricot at the edges. Very spectacular variety! It is simply magnificent in spring flower beds, borders, it can be grown up in containers.Tulip variety ‘Anne Claire’
Beautiful old variety, created by Coleen in 1958. The plant is 40-50 cm tall, sturdy spike, green leaves. Flower cup-shaped, up to 9 cm, red-purple with light lilac edges of the petals. Blossoms in the 2nd-3rd decade of April, the duration - up to 10 days. It is resistant to adverse weather conditions, may be affected by the variegation virus. Beautiful, refined in the spring in a variety of floral arrangements, suitable for cutting.Tulip grade "Preludium’
Created this variety Koolen in the last year of the Great Patriotic War (1945). The stem is strong, 45 cm high. The flower is cup-shaped, large, up to 9 cm high, light pink, with a wide lilac-pink stripe along the edge. Blossoms from the 2nd-3rd decade of April, the duration of up to 12 days. It is resistant to diseases, but can be affected by the variegation virus, it is well resistant to weather surprises. Suitable for cutting and forcing from January to March.Tulip grade "Tamara’
A very modern white and red variety created by Visser in 1979. It is 40–50 cm high. The flower is a goblet, large, up to 9 cm high, white, and along the edge of the petals is a carmine-red broad band. It blooms from the 2nd-3rd decade of April, the duration of flowering up to 12 days. Resistant to disease and weather problems. Good in cutting and distillation from January to March.Tulip Grade “Emmy Peeck’
Historic variety, created by Hybrida in 1949. The plant is 50 cm high. The flower is wide, goblet-like, large, up to 9 cm high, dark lilac-pink, with lighter edges of the petals. Flowering from the 3rd decade of April, duration - up to 17 days. may be affected by variegated viruses, resistant to bad weather. Good for pruning and spring flower beds.Tulip grade ‘Pearl’
Domestic variety was created in Crimea, co-author L.M. Alexandrova. The stem is strong, up to 50 cm high. The flower is goblet-shaped, 6-8 cm high, white-cream. It blooms from the 2nd-3rd decade of April for 2 weeks.The nuances of tulip culture
In order for tulips not to shrink, they should be dug up annually! Digging bulbs is desirable to conduct when the leaves yellow. Depending on the different period of flowering of different varieties, this occurs in the Crimea on the 2nd half of May - mid-June. After digging the bulbs are dried in the shade, in a well-ventilated place, they clean the bulbs of old maternal scales, sort the new crop by size and set it in storage. In order to avoid the spread of diseases, the bulbs are treated with fungicides, it is useful to pour them with colloidal sulfur. Very important during storage is the temperature regime, which regulates the passage of all organ-forming processes in the bulbs and thus determines the future flowering and the quality of new bulbs. Storage temperature should not exceed + 25 ° С.
