Tulips Tulipa gesneriana
Red tulip flower
Tulip foliage
Tulip flowers seen from above
Two-tone tulip flower
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Tulipa gesneriana, the garden tulip
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
In the 16th century, Turkish gardeners began hybridizing several species of tulip. The result was Tulipa gesneriana. Five centuries later, the tulips that brighten up our gardens are almost all cultivars descended from this distant ancestor.
How to recognize the tulip, Tulipa gesneriana?
Tulipa gesneriana is an upright, bushy perennial. It grows to a height of 50 centimetres, with a spread of at most 15 centimetres.
The tulip bulb is smaller than that of oriental Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis). It rarely exceeds five centimetres in diameter. Spherical, it is covered by a brown envelope with red or orange highlights.
The fleshy, cylindrical stem bears an upright, solitary flower. The cup-shaped flower has six tepals. Color depends on variety and hybrid. You'll find pink, yellow, white, red or purple tulips on the market. Although the flower is usually plain and simple, some cultivars feature two-tone corollas, double flowers and serrated or wavy petals.
Three or four leaves form a sheath at the base of the stem. Fleshy and lanceolate, they are slightly gray-green. The deciduous foliage disappears a few months after flowering.
The bulb of Tulipa gesneriana is toxic. It contains heat-stable alkaloids and calcium oxalate crystals, two substances that can cause digestive, neurological and cardiac disorders if ingested. They can also cause irritation if they come into contact with the skin. Wear gloves when planting, and make sure your pets don't dig up the bulbs to eat them.
Our maintenance tips
You can leave bulbs in the ground all year round. However, they will bloom more beautifully if you remove them and give them a resting period in a dry, dark place.
Watering
As daylight hours and temperatures drop into spring, your plant needs special watering.
Garden Tulip likes humidity, but not at root level. Water only when the rootball has dried to a depth of two or three centimeters.
Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater, at room temperature. If you've placed your houseplant on a dish, empty the stagnant water each time it appears.
During the rest of the year, adjust the watering of your Tulipa gesneriana.
Your Garden tulip tolerates thirst better than excess water. Water only when the soil is three to five centimeters dry. Choose moderate rather than heavy watering, and always use non-calcareous water at room temperature.
If you use a planter or saucer, drain off any stagnant water. It can rot the roots.
Repotting
Plant garden Tulips in a pierced pot or window box at least 20 centimetres deep. Place a layer of clay balls or gravel at the bottom to improve drainage.
Fill the pot with potting soil or garden soil. Plant your bulb at a depth of around fifteen centimetres. The tip should face upwards.
Cover the bulb completely with substrate. Tamp gently and water lightly to help the bulb take root.
Prune
Once the flowers have faded, cut the stem flush with the ground.
The bulb needs the foliage to replenish its reserves. Do not prune the leaves while they are green. When they are dry, dig up the bulb, clean it to remove the soil and remove the leaves.
Store your bulb in a dry place, away from frost and light.
Plantation
Dig a hole three times as high as the bulb and a little wider. You can place a layer of clay balls or gravel at the bottom to improve drainage.
Plant your bulb vertically, at a depth of fifteen centimetres. The tip should point skywards and the base in contact with the soil. Cover your bulb completely with soil. When planting several garden Tulips side by side, space them at least fifteen centimetres apart.
Tamp and water lightly to help the bulb take root.
Cutting
Cutting takes place in autumn.
Dig up bulbs after the leaves have wilted. If they have given rise to bulblets, separate them.
Obtain a pierced pot or planter at least 20 centimetres deep. You can make a drainage layer, with clay balls or gravel. Then pour in a layer of potting soil or garden soil. You can add sand if your substrate seems too heavy.
Plant your bulbs at a depth of around fifteen centimetres, pointing upwards. Cover with potting compost or soil. Tamp gently and water lightly.
Wintering
During the wintering period, your plant's needs are different.
Keep your bulb away from light, in a cool, dry place, until planting. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't rot.
Diseases / Threats
Information
| Family | Liliaceae - Liliaceae |
| Type | Tulip - Tulipa |
| Species | Garden tulip - Tulipa gesneriana |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposures | |
| Substrats | |
| Planting methods |
Open ground In pots In tubs Planter |
| Categories |
Bulb |
| Tags |
Beginner Flowery Toxic |
| Origin |
Western Asia |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 8a |
| Leaf color |
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| Flower colors |
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