Tulipa Valdivia - Double early tulip

Tulipa 'Valdivia' is a double early variety of tulip with warm, changing, spicy colours. Its flower is a blend of red, orange and yellow tones, with that full and opulent appearance we love in peony-flowered tulips. Not very tall, it suits borders, large pots and seasonal bouquets.

The 'Valdivia' tulip belongs to the Liliaceae family. Tulips are perennial bulbous plants, native to a vast area stretching from southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin to Central Asia. This variety is classified among the double early tulips, an early horticultural group prized for its very double flowers borne on rather short, sturdy stems. It was registered in 2015 by Combitulp in Breezand, the Netherlands. The plant reaches 30 to 40cm in height when in flower. Its flower measures about 6cm in length. The inside reveals a yellow base edged with brownish grey, with reddish orange petals. On the outside, the petals blend red, reddish orange, brownish orange, brownish yellow and dark green along some veins. The foliage is green, ovate and slightly wavy. After flowering, it yellows and then disappears as the bulb goes dormant in summer. Perennial by its bulb, this tulip reflowers more easily in well-drained soil that is slightly dry in summer. It is hardy in most climates. 

In the garden, its warm colours pair perfectly with Tulipa ‘Brownie’ whose palette features browns, caramels and soft oranges. 'Copper Image’ offers a softer coppery pink. Slightly later, 'Orange Princess’ combines orange and green on a more flamboyant double flower. To lighten the overall look, you can mix these tulips with a few bulbs of daffodils ‘Mount Hood’, ivory white with a pale yellow centre, or ‘Jetfire’, smaller, bright yellow with an orange trumpet. In a vase, a few stems can be added to branches of twisted hazel or bare dogwood.