Tulipa species I-S are found on this page.
Tulipa Hybrids - Tulipa A-C - Tulipa D-H - Tulipa S-Z - Tulipa index
Tulipa karabachensis is a rare species from Central Asia. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Tulipa kaufmanniana growing in the wild on the western Tien Shan mountains, Kazakstan, in June 2004. These were all taken in the Ulkun-Kyindi Valley at some 8,000 feet and the sequence of shots clearly shows the great variability that the species shows in its natural habitat. Photos by David Victor.
Tulipa linifolia , native to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is a terrific rock garden size tulip species, with gorgeous brilliant red flowers that open wide to catch the sun. The red color didn't photograph accurately and appears to have a magenta tone. T. clusiana var. chrysantha can be seen in the right side of the photo in the first photo by Mark McDonough. The second picture by Max Withers gives a better idea of the color of this species. His plant was purchased from the UC Botanic Garden. The last picture from Mary Sue Ittner shows a pot blooming in 2008.
Tulipa neustruevae is native to Central Asia (western Tien Shan). It resembles Tulipa dasystemon, but grows at lower elevations, is a brighter golden yellow and has fresh glossy green leaves. It can be grown in a rock garden or raised bed and flowers March to April. Photo taken in a Portland, Oregon, garden March 2009 by Mary Sue Ittner.
Tulipa orithyioides grown from seed collected by Josef Halda in the early 1990s. Photographed in a bulb frame in Oregon in late February, by Jane McGary. This tiny tulip, only about 5 inches tall, is kept dry in summer. The species was offered in the 2004 catalog of Janis Ruksans, who also collected it in Central Asia.
Tulipa polychroma is from Iran and Afghanistan. It is an excellent miniature species for the rock garden, with charming white "star cups" on 2-3" (5 - 7.5 cm) stems. The center of the flower is yolk yellow, but it's the outside of the flowers that give this species its character. The back of the outer 3 tepals are tinged matte olive-mauve, and the back of the 3 inner tepals are lightly striped with green and blue. The flowers are deliciously scented. Photos by Mark McDonough. The first three views show the flowers from above and the side to illustrate the outer tepal markings and the last at late anthesis, the outer tepals age to a pale ruddy rose color.
Tulipa praestans grows on rocky slopes, screes, and in light woodland to 3000 meters (9840 feet) in the southern Pamir Alai, Central Asia. Flowers are scarlet and cup shaped. This species is widely grown in the open garden in suitable locations and long lived. One of the characteristics of this species is that it can produce mulitple flowers per bulb. Pictures below show bulbs that I have been growing in Northern California for more than twenty years, stored dry in summer, prechilled for six weeks in November, and planted in pots. They were originally purchased as the cultivar 'Fusilier' which supposedly can produce up to seven flowers per bulb. I cannot remember if the original bulbs had multiple flowers, but for as long as I can remember my bulbs only produce one flower per bulb. The red flowers first appear in the leaves and then the stem gets longer. If we happen to have a warm sunny day when it blooms (February to March here in coastal Northern California), the flowers open wider. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner from three different years.
Tulipa pulchella is sometimes considered a form of Tulipa humilis. This beautiful plant has been thriving in Tumwater, Washington for five years. The flowers are born on 15 cm stems, but only open fully in bright sunlight. Note the black base, as opposed to the yellow of other varieties.
Tulipa Hybrids - Tulipa A-C - Tulipa D-H - Tulipa S-Z - Tulipa index