Tulipa clusiana stellata

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Tulipa clusiana stellata is a BULB growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in June. 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): 0.2

Where it is found

A weed of cornfields and rocky slopes, 1500 - 3300 metres. Found in forest openings and dry savannah slopes.

E. Asia - Afghanistan to the Himalayas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Bulb. Up to 2cm in diameter. No further details are given.

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

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a sunny position in a very well-drained sandy soil with added leafmold. If required, the bulbs can be dug up and stored once they have died down in July, they can then be replanted in October. Plants do not produce much seed nor many offsets.

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; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, the bulbs and the flowers of at least one member of this genus have been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people, though up to 5 bulbs a day of that species can be eaten without ill-effect.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

T. stellata. Hook.