Tulip, Didier's tulip
Tulipa gesneriana

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Tulipa gesneriana is a BULB growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.5

Where it is found

In and around cultivated land.

The origin of this plant is obscure, though it is naturalized in S.W. Europe.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Bulb - cooked. It can be dried and ground into a powder and then mixed with cereals when making bread etc. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere. It has been shown to help remove formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia.

Pollution: Plants used to combat pollution.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Easily grown in a sunny position in a well-drained sandy soil with added leafmould. The bulbs are very hardy, surviving soil temperatures down to about -12°c. This is a complicated species, or perhaps a group of very closely related species, some members of which are probably native to Europe. It is a parent of the cultivated garden tulips. The flowers are sweetly scented. Bulbs can be harvested in June after they have died down and then stored in a cool dry place, being planted out again in October.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a shady part of the cold frame as soon as it is ripe in early summer, or in the early autumn. A spring sowing of stored seed in the greenhouse also succeeds. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on without disturbance for their first growing season - apply liquid feeds to the pot if necessary. Divide the bulbs once the plants have become dormant, putting 3 - 4 bulbs in each pot. Grow the on in the greenhouse for at least the next year, planting them out when dormant. Division of offsets in July. Larger bulbs can be planted out straight into their permanent positions, or can be stored in a cool place and then be planted out in late autumn. It is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer to the middle of autumn.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

The bulb and the flowers have been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people, though up to 5 bulbs a day can be eaten without ill-effect.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

T. didieri. T. suaveolens. Hayek. non Roth.