Tulipa Darwin hybrid Orange Lion - Darwin hybrid Tulip

The 'Orange Lion' hybrid Darwin Tulip provides a spectacle in the garden in the middle of spring, with its large flowers of a joyful orange-yellow. Of medium size, its foliage, barely tinged with blue-grey, highlights the warm colours of the flower. Perfect in the garden where it will brighten up a bed, this fragrant variety will also find its place inside the house in the form of superb bouquets. Hardy, resistant to bad weather, it prefers to grow in well-drained soil in the sun.

The 'Orange Lion' hybrid tulip belongs to the Liliaceae family, which used to be rich in genera that have now been reclassified into other families. Today, there are just over 400 species divided into about ten genera, the most well-known outside the large group of tulips being the lily and the fritillary. While a few varieties of botanical tulips can be found in commerce, the majority are horticultural varieties, like 'Orange Lion'. There are 15 divisions of tulips, with the 4th being the group of Darwin hybrids, characterised by large single flowers that appear in the middle of the season, carried by long, weather-resistant stems.

'Orange Lion' will reach a height of 55 to 60 cm (22 to 24in) when in bloom, in April-May. The flowers have a pyramidal to ovoid shape, with a broad base and a narrower top, before the petals slightly open at maturity, giving it a more rectangular appearance with rounded angles. Their colour fluctuates from yellow to orange, sometimes separate, sometimes fused, creating a very dynamic visual. The broadly lanceolate foliage has a beautiful glaucous green appearance, forming a perfect setting for the prominently dominant flowers. These are pleasantly fragrant, making them good candidates for bouquets. In fact, tulips from this group are the most cultivated for the cut flower trade. This tulip will be perfect when planted in mass, in the sun or possibly in partial shade, and will brighten up spring with its vibrant flowers.

The 'Orange Lion' Tulip finds its place in large beds, and of course in bouquets, associated with early peonies or lilacs. You can also grow it in a container, mixed with other varieties of tulips, preferably early ones like 'Christmas Dream' to extend the flowering season. In the garden, plant it in groups in a diverse bed mixing bulbs, perennials, and bushes. The Irises with their varied colours and dimensions will be good companions that can prolong the floral spectacle by choosing late varieties. The Narcissus will also be interesting with their predominantly white and yellow colours that coordinate well with 'Orange Lion'. The Oenothera fruticosa Sonnenwende with its abundance of yellow flowers throughout the summer is also highly recommended. And in the background, plant some reliable shrubs like the Philadelphus coronarius, whose simple white flowers release an unforgettable fragrance in spring, or one of the many Weigelas, so easy to grow and always generous in flowering.