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Chameleon tulips!

Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
in Plants
Hi everyone. Wondering if anyone has experience of tulips totally changing colour from one year to next? I bought some beautiful (and not cheap!) peony type tulip bulbs a couple of years ago. The first year they came up true to colour, some very dark red, some pale pink, some white and some (not peony type), beautiful white and green. I lifted the bulbs (which had been in planters) and due to moving house they had a "year off" kept in paper nags. They got rather mixed up so I planted them in troughs again to sort colours, planning to put them in nefs eventually. But the first ones have opened a rather unpleasant strong orange with some green, which I can only think are the non peony types which should be white! Can anyone tell me why this has happened. I was thinking stress, weather conditions.....they look perfectly strong and healthy but I really don't like the colour (apologies to orange lovers!). I wondered if there's a chance they will revert to their "proper" colour in future years or if I should give up on them and get rid (possibly to an orange appreciative person! Bit gutted as they were quite pricey and absolutely stunning the first year.

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    The main reason why tulips go like this is a thing called Tulip Fire blight. It is transferred from wallflowers to the bulbs. If this is what it is, then the only copurse is to destroy the bulbs.

    Many of the tulips which went for ridiculous prices in the Dutch Tulip Mania era were affected by this fungus.

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=252

    The other cause is one of any number of viruses.

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=254

     

  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    Thanks for the swift reply. Im definitely pretty clueless but they don't look sickly. I took a couple of pics but don't know how to post them or if that's possible. I'm still at the stage in my gardening "life" that I feel awfully guilty getting rid of anything unless its terminally I'll, but I certainly wouldn't want to pass on diseased bulbs to anyone.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    I have put different coloured Tulips  in in the past, they are mostly all red now. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    I've never tried tulips before these, having grown up with the "council flower bed" prejudice where they were all red yellow or orange. Having been seduced by the amazing range available now, its a real pity they haven't flowered true to type. Keeps things interesting I suppose!
  • Jeni FJeni F Posts: 4
    All my tulips seem to have changed to yellow. I replaced them all the year before last and the first year they flowered beautifully. This year they are all yellow. My soil is acid, the plants have been inspected for tulip fire and no sign, however those that have not turned yellow have not flowered and have produced only leaves.
  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    I feel better knowing its not just me at least! Soil type did cross my mind as its very alkaline here....... Then brain kicked in to remind me they've always been in planters in compost! Duh!
  • TomskTomsk Posts: 204

    I bought some yellow and red 'Helmar' tulips a few years ago and they were beautiful the first year. The petals were mainly warm yellow with bold red around the bottom end that joins the stem. The following year they were more or less all red.

    They just flowered and are now completely red. It's annoying as I bought these premium bulbs but now they look just like the cheaper, basic red tulips.

  • Zen DogZen Dog Posts: 51
    That's exactly my feeling. Mine too were "premium" types which makes the colour change more of a shock and disappointment than had they been "cheapies." I buy loads of plants and bulbs very cheaply from supermarkets, chiefly Lidl, and they never fail to perform. Some if the "peony" type tulips were a housewarming gift and purely coincidentally were the same "brand" as the ones I'd bought. Those aren't showing much yet, though the dark red ones have colour peeping out. From the helpful comments here, they may be the only ones I end up with! Haha. I'm waiting to see what the pale pink and other whites produce!
  • ERICS MUMERICS MUM Posts: 627

    Perhaps it's due to the new variety being a cross between two existing varieties and the stronger of the two takes over eventually so the bulb more or less reverts ?  in short, an unstable hybrid.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142
    Have you read Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach? All about the breeding and trading of rate tulip bulbs in Amsterdam in the 17th century and the fortunes won and lost - brilliant!

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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