Sunday, 17 February 2013

Single Late Tulips

As the name implies, Single Late Tulips come into bloom after all other varieties of tulip. This class was created by combining the former classes of Darwin, Cottage, old Breeder, and Scheeper Hybrid Tulips (since the distinctions had blurred due to hybridization). The resulting Single Late Tulips are some of the most popular tulips of all time. They come in the widest range of colours possible for tulips, and they may be the tallest tulips you can get, although the Darwin Hybrids also vie for that honour.
A few varieties have a fragrance; I have indicated which ones by putting an asterisk (*) after the name of the variety.

Flowering time:	Late spring. Single Late Tulips finish off the Tulip season!
Plant height:	9 - 32" (22 - 80 cm); average: 18 - 30" (46 - 75 cm)
Minimum planting depth:	6" (15 cm0
Hardiness zones:	suitable for zones 3 - 7
Colours:	white, pink, apricot, yellow, orange, red, purple, and black
Shape/form:	a large, oval, almost egg-shaped bloom, on a long, sturdy stem
Alternate names:	Mayflowering Tulips
Notes:	good as cut flowers, for beds, and borders
Example varieties:	Avignon (orange-red), Big Smile (yellow), Black Diamond (purple with black edges), Blushing Beauty (cream and fuschia), Dillenburg* (orange-red), Dreamland (white and red), Esther (pink with silver edges), Francoise (cream), Greuze (purple), Kingsblood (red), Maureen (white), Mrs. John T. Scheepers (yellow), Sorbet (white and raspberry), Union Jack (white and red).