Complete Guide to Tulip Varieties and Their Characteristics

There are an extremely large number of cultivated tulip varieties. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 8,000, divided into 15 major types: Mendel Early Flowering, Double Early Flowering, Darwin Hybrid, Triumph Hybrid, Single Late Flowering, Lily-flowered, Fringed, Green-flowered, Rembrandt Late Flowering, Parrot, Double Late Flowering, Kaufmanniana, Greigii, Fosteriana, and other original species and their hybrid types. Let's take a look below!

Mendel Early Flowering

Mendel Early Flowering, also called the Single Early Group, has single, cup-shaped flowers and an early flowering period. It is based on red and yellow tones, with a rich range of flower colors including pink, white, purple, orange, and more. Some varieties are fragrant. The flowers are 5-7 cm tall, and the plants are 25-40 cm tall. Most varieties of this type are suitable for forcing cultivation in greenhouses in early spring and are the main varieties used in forcing cultivation. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River region, they are commonly used for landscape displays and are the main variety series for early spring flower shows.

Double Early Flowering

Double Early Flowering plants are short, 15-35 cm tall, with double flowers, mostly derived from common parents. The flower stems are short, with flower stems of 10 cm. The flower colors are rich, mainly warm tones, including carmine, rose red, bright red, white, and more. The flowering period is slightly earlier than that of single-flowered types. Varieties of this type are most suitable for potted ornamental display or flowerbed arrangement, and are relatively suitable for forcing cultivation in early spring.

Darwin Hybrid

Darwin Hybrid varieties are mostly world-famous cultivars, produced by crossing late-flowering Darwin tulips with very early-flowering Fosteriana tulips and other species. The plants are robust, 50-70 cm tall, and the flower stems are relatively long, making them excellent cut flower varieties. The flowers are single, large, goblet-shaped, and bright in color, mainly bright red, with yellow, cream-yellow, and bicolor varieties as well. This type has extremely strong vitality, adaptability, and reproductive capacity, and is a very robust variety type suitable for early spring cultivation.

Triumph Hybrid

Triumph Hybrid originates from crosses between Single Early and Darwin Hybrid varieties. The flowers are single, goblet-shaped, large and showy, with moderately long flower stems, and the plants are 45-55 cm tall. Varieties of this type are suitable for mid- and late-season forcing cultivation and are widely used in China. Most varieties can be used for cut flower production and flowerbed arrangement.

Single Late Flowering

Single Late Flowering includes the Darwin and Cottage groups from the original classification. The plants are 65-80 cm tall with sturdy stems. The flowers are single, varied in form, mostly large-flowered, based on red and yellow tones, with flower colors including red, pink, white, and bicolor, among others. This type has a long growth period, and the natural flowering period is generally late. It is suitable for open-field cultivation and is an excellent cut flower variety, such as 'Queen of Night', which is purple, and others.

Lily-flowered

Lily-flowered petals taper to a point at the tip and curl backward, resembling the flower shape of a lily. The flower form is elegant and the colors are showy, making it one of the most beautiful flower forms among tulips. The plants are robust, about 60 cm tall, and the flower stem length varies among types. Based on the timing of flowering, this type belongs to the late-flowering type. The flower stems are firm and tall, and the flowering period is long, making it one of the good cut flower varieties. There are few varieties of this type, and they are generally relatively precious.

Fringed

Fringed is a single-flowered variety type originating from accidental mutations of Kaufmanniana and Darwin Hybrid types. The petal edges have clear bristles or needle-like projections, resembling fringe. It flowers in mid or late season, with many flower stem types. The flower colors are mainly warm tones such as red and yellow. It is a good cut flower variety and is suitable for forcing cultivation in early spring.

Green-flowered

Green-flowered is a single-flowered variety type. The petals have some green on them. The plants are medium to somewhat short, 20-50 cm tall, with relatively short leaves. Most varieties are suitable for potted ornamental display, while a few varieties have longer flower stems and can be cultivated as cut flowers. At present, there are not many commonly used cultivated varieties.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt flowers have markings, often brown, bronze, black, red, pink, or purple streaks or blotches on flowers with a red, white, or yellow base color. These markings are caused by viral infection and do not include other variegated varieties centered on their origin. The plants of this type are medium-sized, with flower stems 30-50 cm long. There are relatively few varieties in this series, and some varieties are often not used in commercial production, frequently exhibited as collector's varieties.

Parrot

Parrot is a single-flowered variety type. The flowers are large, unusual, and beautiful. The tepals are relatively broad and neatly arranged, and the petals are curled and twisted, extending outward and resembling birds in flight. Traditional Parrot varieties are not robust and have poor adaptability. Modern Parrot tulip varieties were selected and bred from Darwin Hybrid and Triumph varieties, with many flower colors and strong adaptability. Varieties of this type are suitable for selection as exhibition varieties.

Double Late Flowering

Double Late Flowering, also called the Peony-flowered Group, is a double-flowered variety type with relatively many petals and a flower shape like that of peony or tree peony. The plants are medium or tall, about 46-55 cm, and the flower stems are upright and firm, making them good cut flower varieties.

Kaufmanniana

Kaufmanniana, also called the Water Lily-flowered type, has as its original species Tulipa kaufmanniana. The corolla is bell-shaped. The wild species is golden yellow with red stripes on the outside. Cultivated varieties come in many flower colors. The flowering period is early, the leaves are broad and often striped, and the plants are short, usually 10-20 cm.

Greigii

The original species of Greigii is 20-40 cm tall, with purple-brown striped leaves and bell-shaped, carmine flowers. Hybrids with Darwin tulips have very large flowers and sturdy flower stems, with a long flowering period. This type is relatively suitable for garden landscaping.

Fosteriana

Fosteriana includes Tulipa fosteriana and varieties produced by crossing Tulipa fosteriana with other original species and with Darwin Hybrid, Single Early, and Triumph varieties. There are cultivated forms, subspecies, varieties, and hybrids, all similar in traits to Tulipa fosteriana. The flowering period is early, the flower stem length is medium to somewhat short, and the flowers are large and long, similar to Darwin Hybrid. The leaves are broad with obvious purple-red stripes, and the corolla is cup-shaped. The leaves are very broad, mostly green or gray-green, sometimes with variegation or markings. They are premium potted plants.

Other Original Species and Their Hybrid Types

Such as Tulipa humilis, Tulipa clusiana, Tulipa acuminata, Tulipa tarda, and others.