Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha

Tulipa chrysantha has alternating red and bright yellow petals. Botanical tulips are miniature to small species tulips, cultivars of species, or dwarf named cultivars not far removed from their wild ancestors. They are strongly perennial and will naturalize when happy unlike the large Dutch hybrids which are often treated as annuals or which fail after a couple years.

Tulips that are shorter, less likely to succumb to rough spring weather and can be planted into ground cover (think ivy, vinca and pacasandra) are a great way to add easy, dependable, inexpensive spring color. These botanical tulips are perfect for that and their small teardrop bulbs are a snap to poke into the soil. Perennial, cheap and easy. Perfect!

Listening to some gardeners talk about it, you would think that a genuinely "perennial" tulip is some kind of holy grail. The dream of a tulip that comes back and multiplies has inspired and then eluded many gardeners. Any skepticism you may have is why I hesitate to make the following claim, but here it is: Wild or species tulips are perennials." Unlike wimpy modern tulips, these tulips like to multiply and come back every year! They spred through underground runners called stolens. You might even find them growing places you didn't plant them! And there is great news for those in warm climates: You can grow tulips! T. Clusiana var Chrysantha is native to the Afganistan, a land hot, dry summers. They don't require much winter chill to thrive. AMONG THE BEST TULIPS FOR THE SOUTH. Definitely one of the most stunning of the wildflower tulips. When closed the petals are striped crimson and yellow. During the sunny hours the flowers open to reveal a bright golden yellow interior. Its like having two flowers in one! At this price, you can afford to plant large drifts of T. chrysantha for stunning effect. Hardy in zones 3-9. Flowering period: early Plant height: 6-8 inches