Tulipa sylvestris

or wild tulip

Almost all tulips bring me pleasure, and they make such a valuable contribution to the spring garden, but I am coming to love the species tulips more and more: once planted, they come back year after year and they ask for very little in return. They also have a natural grace and elegant habit, subtleties that are sometimes lacking in the cultivars all of whom are descended from the one hundred or so species found in the wild, predominantly in the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.

Tulipa sylvestris bears dainty, golden yellow flowers, pointy in shape with a relaxed nodding habit, reaching a height of around 30cm. They are very hardy and the flowers are said to be citrusy in fragrance. They do well in shortish grass and where they are happy, they will naturalise, spreading by stolons (runners). As a general rule, to place any plant successfully, research its native habitat and look for clues in its name. In this instance ‘sylvestris’ translates from the Latin as “of the forest” or “pertaining to woods”, but our woods and our climate are different from those in higher altitudes and I have not so far tried this tulip in dappled shade. What most tulips need are hot dry summers, cold winters and very well drained gritty soil.

The National Collection of species tulips is held at Cambridge University Botanic Garden and right now is a good time to visit.

NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 and is for sale in our online shop here.

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