Parrot tulips are a tulip cultivar group known for their bright colors and petals. The petals have a "serrated" or "fringed" look.[1] The flowers bloom in late spring and reach a size of almost 5 inches (13 cm) in length.[1] Although they are perennials by nature٫ they are often grown as annuals.[2] Parrot tulips come in a wide variety of colors, usually being brightly colored, but can come in darker colors.[3] The flowers originated in France and were brought to the Netherlands in the 18th century.[4]
| Tulipa Parrot Group | |
|---|---|
 'Apricot Parrot' | |
| Genus | Tulipa |
| Cultivar group | Parrot Group |
| Origin | France |
The flower buds are green in color, but as the flowers mature, their bright colors start to appear. Parrot tulips not a species but are a group of cultivars with the name Tulipa Parrot Group.[5] Parrot tulips are the result of natural mutations to single late tulips and triumph tulips.[6] During the 17th and 18th century the most notable mutations were to color patterns with growers attempting to influence the color of the tulips using pigeon droppings, old plaster and even dirty waste water from the kitchen.[7] It wasn't until the late 19th century that the source of these mutations was isolated as the tulip breaking virus.[7][8][9] Later in the 20th century, radiation was used to cause mutations in these tulips to search for new colors and patterns.[7][10]
Description
editThe parrot tulip is characterized by ruffled petals and bright colors. The flowers are somewhat curled, especially at the edge of their petals and are some of the showiest tulips in competition.[11] The plant itself can grow to 22 inches (56 cm) tall[12] with the flower being on average around 5 inches (13 cm) across.[11] The parrot tulip is more puffy and expanded than some other tulips, with other tulips being more inward and curled up. They get their name from their exotic colors and shape, as the petals resemble the feathers on a parrot and parrots tend to have bright colors.[13] Parrot tulips, just like other tulips, grow two or three bluish green leaves that are clustered together at the base of the plant.[14] There are many varieties of parrot tulip.[15] A few include the 'Rainbow' cultivar that, hence its name, has rainbow-colored flowers. The 'White Lizard' cultivar has a pure white color, with light purple near the bottom of the flower and a petal shape different from other parrot tulips.[16] The 'Estella Rijnveld' cultivar can either be white with red streaks or red with white streaks.[17] The 'Negrita Parrot' cultivar comes in several different shades of purple; such as indigo, violet, and magenta.[18]
References
edit- ^ a b "Parrot Tulips". Gardenia.net.
- ^ Jennifer Lesser. "How to Grow Parrot Tulips". The Spruce.
- ^ Neveln, Viveka (2019-05-29). "Tulip, parrot hybrids". Better Homes & Gardens. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "How the tulip became the world's most coveted flower". National Trust. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ van Scheepen, J. (1995). "Cultivar Groups in the Genus Tulipa L. (Liliaceae,)". Acta Horticulturae (413): 137–144. doi:10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.413.21. ISSN 0567-7572.
- ^ Duford, Mary Jane (2021-11-19). "A Guide To Parrot Tulips (Ruffled Specialty Varieties)". Home for the Harvest. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
- ^ a b c Gilmer, Maureen (2019-04-27). "The twisted, mutated history of the beautiful tulip". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ Lesnaw, Judith A.; Ghabrial, Said A. (2000). "Tulip Breaking: Past, Present, and Future". Plant Disease. 84 (10): 1052–1060. doi:10.1094/PDIS.2000.84.10.1052. ISSN 0191-2917. PMID 30831892. S2CID 73502413.
- ^ Asjes, C. J. (1976). "Arabis mosaic virus in tulips". Netherlands Journal of Plant Pathology. 82 (5): 187–189. doi:10.1007/bf03041374. ISSN 0028-2944. S2CID 39847911.
- ^ De Mol, W. E. (1937). "The influence of X-ray treatment on flower bulbs (hyacinths and tulips)" (PDF). Philips Technical Review. 2 (11): 321–328.
- ^ a b Dobbs, Liz (2003). Tulip : 70 stunning varieties of the world's favorite flower. Clay Perry (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-31055-2. OCLC 50716994.
- ^ "Tulip Apricot Parrot | DutchGrown™ | Most Popular Tulips For Sale". DutchGrown. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
- ^ "Parrot tulip, triggers of fabled passions in past and present times". Nature and garden. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ^ "tulip | Description, Flower, Cultivation, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ^ "Parrot tulip, triggers of fabled passions in past and present times". Nature and garden. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Rare tulips grown by Arne Maynard". Gardens Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Tulipa 'Estella Rijnveld' (Parrot Tulip)". Gardenia.net. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ "Tulip Negrita Parrot (X6) -". Bluestone Perennials. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
External links
edit
- Parrot Tulip from Horti Itzsteinensis, by Johann Jakob Walther (1600–69), watercolour, Germany, 17th century. at V&A Museum
- "The Parrot Tulip": The Liliaceae Family, by Timothy Clausen at North Dakota State University