Topic: Strange Tulip

[Wicker]

Same tulip as was in Inedible plants realised I had it on wrong thread  ::) :-[
This was a plain red tulip which got isolated among the rasps when the other bulbs got shifted about 4 years ago.  Each year the petals start as green then become more "pointed" and flashed with red/yellow/white.  I don't want to shift it as I ahve grown fond of it and don't want it to lose it's identity.

Sorry if the picture size is too big - still not quite there!

[Palustris]

Looks like one of the soi-dit Parrot Tulips, the most well known is one called Rembrandt.
However if it was originally straight red and has gone this colour since then the normal reason for tulips changing colour (though not shape) is Fireblight virus. If it is then it willgradually decline and disappear. Parrot tulips are not virus ridden.

[tim]

Any chap who speaks French whilst dancing, really knows his onions! = Tim

[Wicker]

I do have red and yellow tulips scattered about the lottie and also dwarf tulips plus a few parrot ones (but they are new this year and in a tub).  Hate to think it is diseased, I know very very little about flower ailments somehow thought fireblight was a fruit thing but the rasps have always been o.k.  Oh dear, does this mean I should to howk it out in case it's something that spreads?  :(  

Thanks anyway for the info.

Megan

[Palustris]

First of all the virus which affects tulips is also found in Wallflowers, but it does not go into anything else.
Second, if it is virus then as long as you do not plant tulips in the same place as it then the virus should not spread to your others. Unless you have a major aphid problem which can spread viruses from one plant to another.
Looking at the picture though, I am not convinced that it is virus, the flower is too healthy looking.

[Palustris]

You will be glad to know we have 6 clumps of exactly similar tulips, sad to say not one of the labels put in with them has survived!

[Wicker]

So it's not a new breed then ::)  I don't have any others like it at all just the red and yellow and dwarfs.  You know I looked at it again and it's not exactly sturdy, a bit spindly really compared to the others, maybe because its in amongst the rasp roots it's a bit choked while the others are all in better ground round the other side. Anyway will see if it comes back next year, I just leave them all in the ground.  Thanks for your help