Another Perfect Plant: Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’
Star-like lady tulips flowers, fully open to the afternoon sun (photo credit: Wikipedia).
Tulipa clusiana is commonly known as lady tulip, and is native to the middle east. Lady tulips belong to a category known as species tulips, which simply means that they are not hybridized. Species tulips are often smaller than their hybrid cousins, with more unique-looking flowers and foliage, and are more likely to perennialize in the garden than other varieties. Lady tulips will naturalize in Mediterranean climates zone 7 and up, with cool moist winters and warm dry summers. These plants prefer well-draining soil, and would work well in a rock garden.
A partially-open lady tulip flower (photo by Author).
This past fall I planted some Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’ in pots around my house, where they have performed beautifully. One of my favorite things about this tulip is how the flowers open and close throughout the day. In the morning, closed flowers showcase pinkish-red outer tepals. As they open up throughout the day, white inner petals become more exposed, imparting a candy-striped effect. By mid-afternoon, the flowers fully open into delightful white stars before closing up again by evening. The dynamic quality of lady tulips is such a joy to observe in the garden!
Another benefit of this particular species is its very fine, low-profile leaves, which minimize the appearance of that frequently bemoaned ratty tulip foliage that endures throughout the season after flowering.
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