I've read that Tulipa saxatilis 'Lilac Wonder' is a selection of the population also known as T. bakeri. There are three closely related tulips in Crete, which grow in somewhat different habitats, and some botanists place them all in T. saxatilis. The T. bakeri ones (largest and darkest flowers) grow in cultivated upland pasture, the T. saxatilis ones on rocky mounds, and the T. cretica ones in crevices in cliffs and an odd place that reminded me of a lava flow. "Saxatilis" was the best performer in my previous garden, and "cretica" is the best one in the bulb house. I just ordered a lot of wild-collected tulip seeds from Kurt Vickery's seed list and look forward to growing them. I have a spot that is crying out for species tulips, but I don't want to introduce virus-infected stock into the new garden, so will resign myself to waiting 5 years or so for flowers. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA At 12:43 PM 8/24/2012, you wrote: >25 years ago in inland northern California I planted half a dozen >Tulipa saxatilis var. Lilac Wonder beneath a small Hawthorne tree. >As the tree has grown, so have the tulips, which now surround the >tree after squeezing out some commercial tulips. The tulips and the >surrounding lawn are watered in the summer. Neither have been >fertilized (except where passing dogs poop)in 25 years and are thriving.