Blue: Brunnera macrophylla
Yellow: Tulipa dasystemon
I especially adore this luminescent species tulip. It, along with another favorite, Tulipa turkestanica, are natives of Central Asia, specifically from the Tien Shan Mountains according to text and photos in my treasured "The Random House Book of Bulbs" from the 1980s. The photo of dasystemon shows it along with an Alchemilla mollis. For a colleague, I once took a picture of the alpine version of Lady's Mantle high (10,000 feet) in the Guatemalan mountains (Cuchumatanes) at the Earthways/AFOPADI project. So I conclude that this tulip grows at high altitudes...My yard is flat, but since it is old lake bed, it has great drainage.
2 comments:
I love the little species tulips; it's nice to be reminded of the source of our modern varieties.
Yes, it's fun to imagine distant steppes...We use species tulips a lot. They flower early, their foilage disappears fast and, unlike many of the showier tulips bred as annuals, these can last a half dozen years.
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