[David Bracey]

I received this request from Richard Hickman.  Thanks for your help.

"Hello and could you give me some help on which species tulip could grow well in southern Portugal (Algarve) on chalky soil. I hear that they are longer lived than many hybrids.
 
I have had success with T.clusiana v. chrsantha, scila peruviana and iris hybrids. Not so with amarylys beladona and stenbergia lutea."

[Trevor Australis]

T. bakeri, T. cretensis, T. saxitalis, T. sylvestris, T. orphanidea. In fact I'd give any sp tulips a go, esp. the smaller, shorter stemmed kinds.

[JTh]

Does anybody know if bulbs of T. orphanidea are available for sale in Greece?

[rhickman]

Thanks to Trevor and David. I am also corresponding with argencebulbs which looks promising.

[JTh]

Lots of interesting things from argencebulbs, but unfortunately, many of those I would like to buy seem too be 'Non disponible'.

[rhickman]

Yes me too. I suspect it's because they are a small specialist who grow their own, so fluctuating seasons or "no" demand could impact on what they have for sale. 

[John]

Tulipa sylvestris is a widespread native of the Algarve and we saw quite a lot of it when we were there this spring, see picture. It should be easy to grow but there are also larger cultivated strains which you may consider more ornamental.

[JTh]

Tulipa sylvestris probably came to Norway in 18th century as ballast plants, and it is established in many parts of Norway today, both in gardens and in the wild, especially in the south. The ships transported timber to the rest of Europe, and when they returned, the goods they brought back was usually not heavy enough, and they need to fill the ships with ballast, usually soil, sand and gravel. A lot of plants were imported that way, not all of them as nice as the tulips.

I still think T. orphanidea is much nicer, though, and I am still looking for a source.

[rhickman]

Hello and thanks to all who have contributed.

Good hunting John; hope you enjoyed the Algarve which is where I am. A few weeks after the spring conference we strode out flower spotting and found tulips and orchids in abundance.

For Tulipa orphanidea Whittallii Group try www.crocus.co.uk.

[JTh]

Yes, crocus.co.uk have them, but it doesn't help me much:

'Delivery Area
only mainland addresses within England, Wales, and parts of Scotland. All offshore addresses are excluded eg: the Isle of Man, the Scottish Isles, Ireland and the Channel Isles.

[robarco]

T. bakeri, T. cretensis, T. saxitalis, T. sylvestris, T. orphanidea. In fact I'd give any sp tulips a go, esp. the smaller, shorter stemmed kinds.

Thread resurrection!

Trevor - this year I am trying out my first Tulips. After a lot of research - but not all may apply, as we really don't have "cold" winters - I will soon* be planting all your recommendations except T. cretensis. And also T. clusiana. My weather is in my signature. Do you still think your recommendations hold where I am? Sylvestris ssp australis is actually a native, albeit very local and very rare - mine are "regular" sylvestris, Dutch stock (presumably) - but at least we're on the same page, so hopeful.

*Soon - it's still around 21C daytime, even today where it rained all day - so holding out a couple of weeks more - good move or bad idea?

[Caroline]

You may have already thought of this, but if not, pop the tulip bulbs into the vegetable drawer of the fridge.  it gives them a good start, although doen't guarantee they will flourish year after year. Cheers

 

[robarco]

Hi Caroline, I have my Dutch tulips there but I am hoping to have some success with species tulips that don't need any refrigeration - that I can leave in the ground "for ever"... with any luck! Read that T clusiana is almost a sure bet - fingers crossed and also for some if not all of the others I am trying out. It would be quite a discovery here so to speak as no-one grows tulips except just the Dutch ones which they don't refrigerate and therefore don't even give a half decent display the first year.

[anita]

Hi Robarco,
Unless you have at least a half a dozen winter nights below zero you will not be able to flower even the species tulips recommended by Trevor, in the longer term. Winter chilling is essential for the formation of flowers I have found.
I live in the same city as Trevor, although I am on the coastal plains and he is a few hundred metres higher in low hills - that slight elevation allows species tulips to be grown successfully at Trevor's home while I have had little success with the same species flowering only when we have a winter cold enough to trigger blossom formation.
I have had much greater success with narcissi species that require little chilling and also with some of the autumn flowering crocus and galanthus.
Good luck!

[robarco]

Yes it's a bit of a gamble. I just wonder, guess I'll have to wait and see. The thing is, there is a species tulip that grows in the wild here - T. sylvestris ssp australis, albeit is very rare confined to one location. I also know of one person with a semi-shaded garden who actually has hyacinths - the regular, dutch ones - in the ground, and they return and flower as they should. At around 200m above sea level, which is no more than 1.5C less than at sea level. It never freezes here, I think that a 2C night time low is an absolute record.