Description
This is one of the smaller and less ‘blowsy’ Tulipa species with a charm all of its own. The star-shaped flowers open white and take on a faint, complimentary pink tinge with age. Sometimes the outside of the flower is flushed pink also. There can be three flowers to each dwarf stem and all have a lovely bright cadmium yellow throat.
In the wild, this is limited exclusively to the mountains of Crete where it grows and flowers soon after the melting snows finally vanish, so it is remarkably tough and cold hardy despite its elfin appearance. Although the plants look delicate, they are perfectly happy outside in the UK, certainly as far north as northern Scotland.
Tulipa cretica likes a gritty, well-drained compost and will take considerable neglect, although they do far better and increase nicely if fed and watered. They do NOT like an excessively dry summer rest.
Tulipa cretica