Saturday, May 11, 2013

Flaming Parrots - A Type of Tulip

Parrot tulips are flamboyant with a capital letter F. They are large and have petals that can be curly, twisted or fringed. Vibrantly colored, many varieties have two or more colors. My favorite variety, the Flaming Parrot is bright yellow with red flames and a bit of green veining.


Procrastinator that I am, my go to mail order sources often have already sold their stock of bulbs by the time I am ready to order. Not last fall,  I ordered and planted those tulip bulbs in a timely fashion and now reap the reward.



Parrot tulips are mid- to late season bloomers. They were developed from mutations within the Triumph class, hence the large flower size and strong stems. The parrots mix nicely with the pansies we can plant in the fall here in the south.



Despite the warnings to plant them in a protected spot, the parrots have actually fared rather well, standing up to the multiple rains we have had in this unusually wet spring.




And the season is progressing, a tree peony is in bloom and the iris will be in their glory very soon. Take a walk and see what is blooming in your neighborhood.


Carina



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