Wild flowers are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners, attracting attention with their natural, primitive beauty. Botanical “wild” tulips are considered the standard of beauty for spring plants, which are pleasant and easy to grow without putting a lot of effort into it. What varieties should novice gardeners pay attention to, and what are the nuances of growing them, will be discussed below.
Morphological features
Among the morphological features characteristic of all varieties of tulips are:
- small sizes;
- flowering begins earlier than other plants;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
The differences between varieties are in the color of the petals. Thanks to these properties, the plants are loved by all gardeners, and tulips can be found in almost every flower bed.
Varieties of botanical tulips
Among the popular varieties that are popular are:
- Little Princess;
- Turkestanika;
- Saxatilis;
- Tarda's Dasystemon;
- Humilusk Odalisque;
- Pointed;
- Two-flowered;
- Forest;
- Botanical fenna.
Let's take a look at the advantages of each variety separately.
Little Princess
The Little Princess got her nickname for a reason. The variety is low-growing, and the average height of one plant is about 10 centimeters. When opened, they resemble stars due to the unusual shape of the bowl. Little Princess is easy to care for and grows well in the flowerbed. The disadvantages include the short duration of flowering.
You will be able to enjoy the beauty of a flowering plant for no longer than a week. And after a month the petals fall off, and we have to wait for the new season.
Turkestanika
A picky variety, reaching a height of up to 30 centimeters. The seeds take root well in soil of any composition and produce a large harvest. It begins to bloom in the first half of April. The flowering period is not very long - no more than 10 days. When opened it looks like a star. The color of the petals is white. The aroma is pleasant, rich.
Saxatilis
A low-growing plant, reaching a height of no more than 20 centimeters. The color of the petals is lilac, with a pinkish tint. Flowering begins in the second half of April, early May. During flowering, the bowl opens wide, exposing the yellow bottom.Features of the variety that should be taken into account when breeding include the inability to produce offspring using seeds. Propagates well from bulbs.
Dasystemon Tarda
Another representative of dwarf varieties of wild tulips. Distinctive features:
- reaches a height of no more than 20 centimeters;
- the bowl is small - about 5 centimeters;
- the variety is unpretentious to heat, and does not even need to be covered for winter;
- early flowering - in March;
- The color of the leaves is predominantly yellow, but along the edges of the petals there is a white edging.
Note! It responds well to forcing, showing intensive growth and formation.
Humilusk Odalisque
The distribution area of the plant is Asia. Small dimensions. The height of the plant is no more than 20 centimeters. The color of the petals is bright crimson, turning towards the bottom into a yellow-green hue. Flowering early. It starts in early April. Unpretentious to environmental conditions. Tolerates low temperatures well.
Pointed
An easily recognizable tulip variety, memorable to everyone who sees it thanks to the unusual shape of the petals. Unlike other “relatives”, the petals of this plant have an elongated shape, tapering towards the tips. The pointed one is interesting because the history of its origin is unknown, and it is considered botanical with a stretch. Reaches 40 centimeters in height, having a yellow bowl with red hues.
Bifloral
A rare specimen listed by wildlife defenders in the Red Book. The name is not entirely justified, since from 1 to 3 buds can grow on one peduncle. The color of the petals is lilac, changing to yellow towards the base of the bowl. Plant height is 25 centimeters. Propagated by seeds and bulbs.
It does not require increased attention from the gardener, feeling great with minimal care.
Forest
When choosing this variety for breeding, it is necessary to take into account that in wild conditions the plant shows unstable flowering results. The bulb can simply produce a stem with leaves, without a bud, and flowers on some specimens appear no more than once every 2 years. However, despite this drawback, the bud has a pleasant, soft yellow color that will decorate any garden or flower bed well.
Botanical Fenna
A large variety, growing up to 50 centimeters in height. The color of the leaves is fiery red. It loves well-lit areas, but can easily tolerate frosts, without requiring separate shelter for the winter.
Landing specifics
Planting botanical tulips is carried out as follows:
- The bulbs are planted in such a way that a stable root system has time to form by winter. For Central Russia, the best time is considered to be the second half of September, the beginning of October.
- The bulbs are planted to a depth of 3 their sizes, which for the average specimen is 9-10 centimeters.
- The distance between the bulbs is 5-10 centimeters.
- After the first planting, for reliability, the ground is mulched. The tulip copes with subsequent seasons on its own.
Nuances of care
When breeding a plant, consider the following nuances:
- In one place, without transplanting, the plants bloom steadily for 5 years.
- In regions with rainy summers, dig up the bulbs every year.
- For fall planting, choose large bulbs.
- Every year the bulbs go deeper, while their size decreases. In this regard, you should not delay the transplantation, implementing it once every three years.
Diseases and pests of botanical tulips
Botanical tulips have strong immunity, allowing the plant to resist most pests and diseases characteristic of the variety.
Despite this, immunity sometimes fails, and the plant is affected:
- Fusarium.
The above-ground part of the stem begins to turn yellow and dry out. The bulb becomes covered with a grayish coating. Such plants are removed from the garden along with the soil and then burned.
- Variegation.
The leaves of the plant are covered with noticeable stripes or specks. They do not cause serious harm to the flower, but inhibit development.
- Root mite.
The air at the planting site begins to smell unpleasant, and the bulbs take on a brown color, after which they begin to rot.
