Tulipa humilis alba caerulea oculata "Blue-Eyed Tulip"
Jane McGary via pbs (Sat, 31 Oct 2020 12:26:42 PDT)

Tulipa humilis 'Alba Caerulea Oculata' is said to have been collected
(as a clone) in 1927, in mountainous northwestern Iran. Diana Everett,
in /The Genus Tulipa/, writes that it is "best grown under glass." I
suspect that is to give it a dry summer in England, Everett's home. It
grew well for me outdoors in the foothills of the Cascade mountains,
northwestern Oregon, with frequent frost and some winter snow. I don't
have it now as I haven't wanted to introduce commercial tulips into the
garden since undertaking growing Tulipa species from seed, and hoping to
maintain a virus-free collection of them. It would be worth trying in
southern California, whence Gastil writes, but might need more winter
chill to thrive.

Another tulip marketed as T. humilis 'Lilliput' is probably Tulipa
kurdica, classified by some botanists as a synonym of T. humilis. This
is a wonderful little, dark red flower that was spectacular on a sand
berm in my former garden. I'm badly tempted to order some more, viruses
or not, and keep it well away from the species seedlings, which is
feasible here. McClure and Zimmerman offered it this past year.

It's not surprising that Tulipa saxatilis does well in southern
California, as it's from Crete, growing at moderate elevations in rocky
places. Tulipa bakeri, regarded mainly as synonymous with the former,
appears to favor richer soil, flourishing in upland cultivated fields
and pastures.

Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA

On 10/31/2020 11:18 AM, M Gastil-Buhl via pbs wrote:

A local garden friend here asks if we can grow "Blue-Eyed Tulip" here.

On the PBS wiki the photos are from two gardeners in cold climates.
https://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…
I am wondering if anyone has had good results growing this in a climate
like mine, approximately USDA zone 10a with a bit of occasional light
frost. I am sure it would bloom the first year but I suspect then it would
never bloom again, lacking winter chill. The Tulipa saxatilis (or bakerii)
'Lilac Wonder' is the only tulip I have grown well here. That one
multiplies and thrives without any special care other than protection from
gophers.

Gastil
Santa Barbara, California
where I really cannot complain about the climate other than not growing
Tulipa well

_______________________________________________
pbs mailing list
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…
Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>