Flowering now April 2007

[Anthony Darby]

I wonder if this is an April fool? The label in the pot says Tulipa cretica and as it's not in my handwriting and the bulbs haven't been transplanted, I'm assuming that the person from whom I bought it has mislabelled it? Any suggestions?

[PaulM]

Hello I was out yesterday enjoying some spring vibes, and took two pictures of some harbingers of spring here in Sweden, Hepatica nobilis, which can be grown in quite extreme conditions ( maybe hence the red foliage ) and Pulmonaria obscura which favors a more shaded and damp environment. 

 

[Armin]

I wonder if this is an April fool? The label in the pot says Tulipa cretica and as it's not in my handwriting and the bulbs haven't been transplanted, I'm assuming that the person from whom I bought it has mislabelled it? Any suggestions?

Anthony, to me your Tulip looks like T. aucheriana.
But I'm not sure.

[Maggi Young]

I would expect  more yellow in the throat in T. aucheriana but I'm not sure if that is always the case.


Paul, most interesting to see the Hepatica making its home in this uncomfortable place!

[Lesley Cox]

My thought was T. aucheriana too, but I can't remember what throat mine had last spring. Nice though Anthony.

[Anthony Darby]

Tulipa aucheriana looks about right, but it comes from Iran and Syria, so how did it come to be sold as T. cretica? I wonder if the other plant is the same?

[Anthony Darby]

Aha! The seller also sells Tulipa aucheriana, but at 50p/ bulb cheaper than cretica.

[Ian Y]

Anthony, my first thought on your tulip is Tulipa humilis.
I checked out Tulipa aucheriana and have discovered that it is generally considered to be a geographical race of humilis. It differs from the type humilis (if there is such a thing) by its smaller flowers with a less well defined central blotch.
The name Tulipa aucheriana is commonly used for commercial stocks of humilis.
I want T. cretica and have seen it listed in a recent bulb catalogue to drop through our door, I hope I get the real thing.

[mark smyth]

This is what I photographed at Susan Tindalls as T. aucheriana

[mark smyth]

Following the advise of Ian and Martin I bought a Corydalis on Saturday while in Dublin - I went down to look at a Tufa wall. It came unlabelled. A name would be good

[gmoen]

A brief spring report from Norway.
I just came back from a short trip up north and on my way I had to cross some mountain areas. Normally there should be only snow and ice to look at in the end of March, but spring are extremely early even in the mountains this year. It was a wonderful sight with melting water coming down the cliffs and Saxifraga oppositifolia hanging on the vertical stone walls along the road.

[ian mcenery]

Anthony this is what I have as T Cretica

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Here are some flowers in my garden today :

1) Degenia velibitica- flowering its heart out
2) Fibigia triquetra - almost a lookalike - not mentioned in the encyclopaedia of the AGS
3) Iberis candoleana - selfseeded - always a reliable flowerer

[David Nicholson]

They do look similar don't they Luc.

[Anthony Darby]

My tulip doesn't look like yours Ian. Heigh ho.