Tulipa batalinii Salmon Gem

Tulipa batalinii 'Salmon Gem' is a variety that brings something new to the world of botanical tulips, with an unprecedented pink-orange colour. It unfolds in spring with small cups of a pale salmon-pink washed with cream and bordered with orange. They open widely under the sun to reveal a bright orange interior. From its Uzbek and mountainous origins, it has retained a sturdy habit and a clear preference for well-drained soils that are moist in spring and dry in summer. Under good growing conditions, this bulbous plant is long-lasting, faithfully blooming every year and naturalising over time.

Tulipa batalinii is a perennial bulbous plant belonging to the Liliaceae family, which corresponds to the ancient Turkish ideal of a pointed corolla. Its origins can be traced back to the mountains of Central Asia. It is related to T. linifolia, of which it is a depigmented form, and to T. maximowiczii, which closely resembles the latter.

The form 'Salmon Gem', which is commonly associated with botanical species, is a cultivated form of Tulipa batalinii. It was registered in 1999. This small tulip, reaching a height of 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in), blooms relatively late, in April-May, and can spread over a month. Its flower bud opens into a corolla measuring 5 to 6cm (2in) in diameter, composed of 6 bright petals, which are oval and pointed at their ends. It closes in the evening and in cloudy weather. The flowers, carried on top of a short but sturdy stem, emit a light fragrance. The deciduous foliage consists of 4 or 5 narrow and slightly twisted leaves, of a greyish-green colour.

Botanical tulips do not degenerate over time like large-flowered tulips. They naturalise and can remain in place for several years without any special maintenance, thriving in borders and rockeries. To create colourful scenes, they can be paired with various small bulb plants such as crocus, Anemone blanda, muscaris, puschkinia, and Cyclamen coum. These tulips are unrivalled in bringing spring colour to pots or sunny gardens.

Tulip species are found from Western Europe to China and Japan, passing through Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. Their distribution range also includes North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The centre of diversity for the Tulipa genus is in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains and the steppes of Kazakhstan.