Tulipa Malaika - Tulip

The Single Late Tulip 'Malaika' is an elegant spring variety, particularly admired for its shifting hues ranging from salmon pink to coppery orange, sometimes enhanced with pearly pink reflections. It has an upright, well-structured habit, with sturdy, tall stems that proudly bear its large ovoid corollas. It flowers late, between April and May, extending the tulip season with a warm and refined flourish. Easy to grow, it prefers well-drained, fertile, and slightly cool soils, exposed to full sun or partial shade. Perfect for beds, borders, or containers, it simply requires protection from excessive winter moisture to preserve the quality of its bulbs.

The tulip 'Malaika', belonging to the Liliaceae family, is a cultivar from the Single Late tulips group. Like many varieties in this group, its botanical origin is linked to Tulipa gesneriana, a species native to Central Asia and the Near East, but the cultivar itself results from horticultural hybridizations between early and late single tulips to achieve long-lasting late flowering and robust stems. It surpasses the type species with its larger, more colourful corollas, which are also more resistant to spring weather conditions. Its habit is vertical and well-structured, with sturdy stems reaching about 50 cm in open ground and a spread of around 10 cm, making it a tulip with an elegant silhouette. It does not produce visible offsets but may develop secondary bulblets after several seasons in open ground. Its flowers measure between 6 and 8 cm in diameter, ovoid and slightly campanulate, in salmon to moiré orange tones, sometimes with pinkish nuances, offering a slightly satiny effect in full sunlight. Flowering occurs from mid-April to May. The deciduous foliage consists of medium-green lanceolate leaves about 15 to 20 cm long, disappearing after flowering. The stem is smooth and rigid, ensuring excellent floral display even under wind or rain.

In a garden where the light turns more golden, the tulip 'Malaika' unfurls its salmon and pearly tones like a gentle response to the awakening season. Planted in irregular drifts at the feet of silver-leaved perennials or nestled among soft blue forget-me-nots, it reveals the full subtlety of its palette. It pairs beautifully with the tulip 'Apricot Beauty' for a soft tonal harmony or with 'Spring Green', whose green veins accentuate its freshness. In pots, it shines when isolated against a neutral background or paired with a discreet ground cover, allowing its warm hues to fully play their role as a focal point in the composition.