How to Recognize Different Breeds of Tulips

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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A walk in the park in the spring will convince you that you must have some spring tulips in your garden. Once you begin shopping, you'll find that there are numerous varieties. In fact, there are about 100 different types in 15 different divisions. It may seem mind boggling at first but you can recognize the different breeds of tulips by following the steps below.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Identify the early varieties, including single early and double early. The single and the double refer to the flower petals, with the double looking more like a peony. The single are about 10 to 24 inches tall and the double about 2 feet. The singles are usually the first to arrive on the scene, sometimes in the early blooming group, and the doubles a week or two later.

Step2

Wait for the beauty of the Triumph Tulip immediately following the Double Early. They tend to be rounded and between 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. They're followed in May by the Darwin Hybrid and its parent division the Single-late, which contains many Darwins and the Cottage tulips. The Darwin Hybrid has a round flower and is about 22 to 28 inches tall and the Single-late is the tallest at about 32 inches. The Single-late has one variety called the "Bouquet" that is multiflowered.

Step3

Look at four divisions together. The Lily-flowered, Fringed, Parrot and Viridiflora all were part of the previous division, the Cottage division. These flowers grow similarly to the Single-late but their flower and size will vary. The Lily-flowered has pointed petals that flare outward with the tips up to 6 inches. They are about 20 to 26 inches tall. The Fringed varieties have fringed petals. The Viridiflora flowers have an infusion of green streaks on the petals and can be from 30 to 36 inches tall. Division 10, the Parrot, have frilled flowers, incut and twisted petals that are believed to resemble a parrot beak.

Step4

Beware of a florist advertising the Rembrandt tulip, Division 9. These became almost obsolete when it was discovered that the streaks and feathery patterns were caused by a virus. Growers ceased production in fear of spreading the virus. Some believe it to be harmless, but now varieties sold as Rembrandt are impostors and bear no relationship to the original.

Step5

Admire the beauty of the Double-late tulips, Division 11. These blossoms resemble a peony bloom in late spring and are 16 to 24 inches tall with flowers up to 5 inches wide.

Step6

Watch the petals of the Kaufmanniana open wide in the sun. This tulip's common name is the Water-Lily tulip. They are 4 to 10 inches tall. Division 14 contains the Greigii Tulip that grows from 8 to 12 inches tall and are native to central Asia. The center of the flower grows straight in the middle with a flair on the outside. Some experts believe that these two divisions were crossbred and Division 13 the Fosteriana was formed. The Fosteriana grow between 7 and 8 inches tall. These divisions are often the earliest bloomers of spring.

Step7

Travel back through time with the Species tulips. These are the original and are quite hardy, even though smaller and more delicate in appearance. These can be the earliest to appear and have a wide range of colors and varieties.