persian jewel

When I realized that tulips come from a climate not too dissimilar from where I live, I had to plant some species. Tulipa humilis 'Persian Jewel' is one of them. It is a very early tulip, blooming a couple of weeks after the Iris reticulata, a week or two after the Anemone blanda starts, and at the same time that Ipheion starts blooming. It is quite a small plant, the leaves barely rising 1-1/2 inches above the ground but spreading 9-10 inches and looking like a starfish. The leaves burst out of the ground at the first hint of spring, before it seems warm enough for anything to grow.

Today the first blooms opened. The buds quickly form between the leaves and this morning when I looked, the bases of the buds barely cleared the ground. The first spring after I first planted the bulbs, I expected the blooms to open after the stems lengthened, but was surprised when they opened when nearly stemless. The plant above is exactly 2 inches from ground to the tip of the petals. This afternoon, the stems are not quite an inch high, and in a few of days, the stems will be 4 inches or so high when the flowers fade. The color of the flowers is such a rich tone, and the small flowers are so precious that the name 'Persian Jewel' seems apt. They light up my heart.